


Bravepaw's Journey

by civetchanging



Series: BNHA WARRIORS VERSE [1]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Bravepaw is really gay, Icepaw is absolutely terrifying and needs a doctor, Other, because i love myself, except for a chunk of the students because there arent enough adults in this series, if theres a char theyre probably in here, there are a ton more chars (including villains) that i didnt wanna type out, why am i making warriors aus its 2018
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-11-29
Packaged: 2019-05-18 02:46:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14844146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/civetchanging/pseuds/civetchanging
Summary: Bravepaw's dream to become a warrior takes off when he becomes Lionstar's apprentice. Unfortunately, this also comes with StarClan's 'terms and conditions'.





	1. Allegiances

**Author's Note:**

> If you have any questions about who anyone is, feel free to ask. I didn't label.  
> Also, I spent almost a week total on the allegiances list. God punishes hubris with fools like me.  
> See End Notes for OCS list (Had to pad out the clans)

**ALLEGIANCES**

MIGHTCLAN

Mightclan territory extends from the Thunderpath, across a thick deciduous forest until it hits the moor.

 **LEADER** \- Lionstar, a massive, thick-furred, blue-eyed golden tabby, with a thick mane, tufted ears, and a massive dog-bite scar on his side, nearing the stomach, a long scar that winds from his gut to his neck, claw scars on his flank, and a scar on the cheek.

APPRENTICE: BRAVEPAW

 **DEPUTY** \- Flamestripe, a bulky, tall, blue-eyed tortie tom with orange marks around the muzzle, chest, forehead, and that form tiger-like stripes down his forelegs, small, rounded ears, a scar near the throat and a stumpy tail.

APPRENTICE: FIREPAW

 **MEDICINE CAT** \- Silverflower, a small, old, short-legged she-cat with pretty silver fur and a slight limp.

APPRENTICE: QUIETPAW

 **WARRIORS** -

Cleartongue, a well-muscled, short-furred, brown lynx point trans tom with shockingly dark-colored eyes, a notched ear, and no tail.

APPRENTICE: SWIFTPAW

Blossomnose, a dark-eyed siamese she-cat with long fur, large ears, and a darker brown spot right above the corner of her mouth.

APPRENTICE: FROGPAW

Mousetail, a small, tuxedo tom with curled ears, large paws, a scar over one eye, and a long tail.

Shadowstep, a tall, ragged black tom with dry eyes and a scar under one eye.

APPRENTICE: THISTLEPAW

Sparrowtongue, a golden, messy-furred trans tom with green eyes.

APPRENTICE: ROCKPAW

Stonefur, a stocky, solemn tom with grey fur and a darker grey stripe down the back of his neck.

Nightpelt, a lithe, long-furred, dark she-cat with a mischievous gleam in her eyes and a white patch on her chest.

Smoothfang, a tall, black-furred tom with large teeth.

Swiftstream, a black and white tom with long legs and blue eyes.

Sunshadow, a young, spiky-furred black tom.

Brighttongue, a young, golden tom with a plain face and constant smile.

Breezefall, a young, creamy-furred she-cat with a long tail and legs.

APPRENTICE: SKYPAW

Snowdapple, a pretty white-she cat with ginger patches and amber eyes.

Spottedblizzard, a handsome, spiky-furred white tom with ginger patches and blue eyes.

 **APPRENTICES** -

Bravepaw, a small, fluffy black tom with green eyes, white spots across his face, back, and tail, and missing a hind leg.

Thistlepaw, a pale, spiky-furred tom with amber eyes, long claws, and a stumpy tail.

Swiftpaw, a large, black and white tom with blue eyes, lanky legs, and short fur.

Skypaw, a soft, brown and white she cat with yellow eyes, small ears, and a poofy tail.

Quietpaw, a large, pale tom with short fur and a stubby nose.

Rockpaw, a reddish-brown tom with wide eyes and spiky fur.

Firepaw, a lean trans tom with half of his body having white fur, that side having an amber eye, and the other side being a tortie pattern with a blinded blue eye and a notch in his ear, and has a stumpy tail.

Frogpaw, a black she-cat with long fur, large, green eyes, a large mouth, long legs, large paws, and a long tail.

 **QUEENS** -

Softshadow, a short, fluffy, black-furred she cat with green eyes, mother of Bravepaw

Thornear, a pale, spiky-furred she-cat, mother of Thistlepaw

Cloverpool, a short, fat, calico she-cat, with blind milky eyes, mother of Skypaw

Honeyglow, a small, thin, brown and white she-cat with golden eyes and small ears, mother of Skypaw.

 **ELDERS** -

Streamrunner, a short calico white tom with golden paws and dark spots around his eyes.

Frostfall, a weary, thin, white-furred she-cat with long fur, amber eyes, and a rounded face.

Snakewhisker, large, thick-furred brown tabby tom with yellow eyes.

Breezefoot, a long-legged, soft-faced tuxedo trans tom with blue eyes.

IRONCLAN

IronClan territory is a barren highland moore with lots of stones, ditches, and tunnels beneath the surface. It runs from where the deciduous forest begins to where the base of the mountain begins.

 **LEADER** \- Darkstar, a mangled, ancient black tom missing half of his face and chunks of his throat.

APPRENTICE: ICEPAW

 **DEPUTY** \- Blackmist, a smooth-furred black tom with golden eyes, a thick mane, and a long tail.

 **MEDICINE CAT** \- Festermouth, a ragged grey tom with a missing tooth and a constant squint.

APPRENTICE: SUNPAW

 **WARRIORS** -

Peakfang- A massive, mangy tom with an underbite and spiky fur.

Maggotflesh- A scraggly black trans tom with sections of hairless flesh that is scarred intensively, blue eyes, a bob tail, and nicked ears.

APPRENTICE: FUZZPAW

Jaggedbelly- A large, muscular, pale furred cat with an amber eye, empty eye socket, scars over the missing eye and temple of the head.

Russetflight- A muscular trans she-cat with reddish-brown fur and a white underbelly.

APPRENTICE: YELLOWPAW

Lizardslash- a grey, lanky tom with a long snout, short ears, a long tail, and amber eyes.

Pitchmouth- a black, drooling tom with short fur, small, blind eyes, and long, lanky legs.

Halfmask- A tuxedo patterned tom with a massive scar down his forehead, green eyes, and smooth fur.

Marblepounce- a fluffy, orange tom with black and white markings, including an almost exclusively black and white face, amber eyes, a missing front leg, and a long, feathery tail.

Rainwalker, a small grey cat with a short tail and blue eyes.

 **APPRENTICES** -

Icepaw, a light silver-blue hairless cat with mangy skin, yellow-tinted scleras, amber eyes, notched ears, and a thin, ragged frame.

Fuzzpaw, a pale golden-furred she-cat with unkempt fur, golden eyes, long canines, and a bob tail.

Yellowpaw, a small, wavy-furred tan tom with drooping ears and amber eyes.

Sunpaw, a grown, tortie she-cat with amber eyes, large ears, long fur, and a long tail.

 **QUEENS** -

 **ELDERS** -

HEARTCLAN

HeartClan territory covers the bottom part of the mountain, from the barren steppeland to the forest on the other side.

 **LEADER** \- Wolfstar, a short furred, well-kept tom with green eyes and long legs.

 **DEPUTY** \- Silverstrike, a spiky furred, grey, angular tom with yellow eyes.

 **MEDICINE CAT** \- Sunwatcher, an energetic, likeable she-cat with grey fur, big, yellow eyes, white paws, a white chest, a white muzzle, long, thick fur, and a long tail.

 **WARRIORS** -

Cherrywhisper, an elegant, round-faced, russet-colored she cat with silky, short fur and golden eyes.

APPRENTICE: ECHOPAW

Tigerspring, a large, muscular, brown tabby trans tom with white muzzle, amber eyes, and rounded ears.

Mudriver, a large, golden-brown she cat with black spots, blue eyes, a bobtail, and a white muzzle.

Nighteye, a lanky, black, trans tom with white eye dots, a white underbelly, and a white tail tip.

APPRENTICE: SPARKPAW

Roundmask, a fat tuxedo tom with a bob tail and constant smile

APPRENTICE: SHADEPAW

Hawkwing, a pale calico trans top with golden eyes, and a dark, yellowish-brown wing-like pattern on his back.

APPRENTICE: RAVENPAW

Shademask, a fluffy, seal-point cat with almond-shaped, pale eyes.

Dogsnout, a spiky-furred golden tom with a long muzzle and green eyes.

APPRENTICE: ROSEPAW

 **APPRENTICES** -

Rosepaw, a pinkish-grey, fluffy she-cat with yellow eyes, black splotches, white paws, a large, curled tail and long legs.

Sparkpaw, a golden, amber-eyed tom with spiky fur, black stripes, and a stubby tail.

Echopaw, a slender black she-cat with white marks under her eyes and long ear tufts.

Shadepaw, a spiky-furred black she-cat with long fur, a white underbelly, white paws, and dark eyes.

Ravenpaw, a dark-furred trans tom with amber eyes, a white neck, and unusually long tail.

 **QUEENS** -

Bubblesplash, a brown-furred she-cat with soft, silky fur, surrogate mother to Mistkit.

 **KITS** \- Mistkit, a black, spiky-furred tom with amber eyes.

 **ELDERS** -

Briarpath, a large, fawn-colored tabby she-cat with white paws, a white chest, and yellow eyes.

WILLCLAN

WillClan territory covers a coniferous forest from the bottom of the mountain to the Thunderpath

 **LEADER** \- Redstar, a tall, rugged, spiky-furred tom with golden eyes, white fur with a red back and tail, an underbite, and an x-shaped scar on his cheek.

APPRENTICE: VIOLETPAW

 **DEPUTY** \- Oakstripe, a dark brown tom with smooth fur, long legs, dark tabby stripes, and amber eyes.

 **MEDICINE CAT** \- Bluepool, a plain-faced, blue-silver tom with spiky fur near the back of his neck and a long tail.

APPRENTICE: THORNPAW

 **WARRIORS** -

Ripplesplash, a massive black and white tom with red eyes, white marks encircling the eyes, a white underbelly, and white paws.

Willowdrop, a tall, pale-yellow she cat with curly fur, blue eyes, and a sly smile.

Silverface, a grey, spiky-furred tom with dark eyes, black eye spots, large paws and a spiky tail.

Rabbithop, a brown she-cat with large ears, a white spot on her chest, white paws, and long legs.

APPRENTICE: DEERPAW

Specklestorm, a muscular grey tom with black speckles, yellow eyes, short ears, and long whiskers.

Rockjaw, a dark, curly-furred tom with long claws, amber eyes, and a poofy tail.

APPRENTICE: WEASELPAW

Goldensnake, a golden-furred trans she-cat with yellow eyes, a long tail, and an elegant build.

APPRENTICE: MAPLEPAW

Stormear, a silvery-blue trans she-cat with blue eyes, white ear tips, and long legs.

Fleetleg, a massive grey tom with a scar over one eye, a white jaw, a short tail, and broadshoulders.

APPRENTICE: SILVERPAW

Foxmask, a big-pawed, red-furred tom with blue eyes, large ears, and curly fur.

 **APPRENTICES** -

Violetpaw, a messy-furred grey tom with pale yellow eyes, a hollow face, and rather long legs.

Deerpaw, a pale yellow, blue eyed she-cat with long fur, wide eyes, and ears that are long and bent in many places.

Maplepaw, a red furred she cat with green eyes, long fur, and large paws

Silverpaw, a silver, spiky-furred tom cat with lighter grey circles around the eyes, lighter-grey paws, and a spiky tail.

Thornpaw, a black-furred, green eyed trans she-cat with a very long tail, droopy eyes, and folded ears

Weaselpaw, a pale yellow-furred trans tom with blue eyes, a round face, and narrow eyes.

 **ELDERS** -

 **QUEENS** \- Runningpool, a calico she-cat with a stubby tail, mother to Stonekit

 **KITS** \- Stonekit, a dark, curly-furred tom with long claws, blue eyes, and a stubby tail.

CATS OUTSIDE THE CLANS

Stain- a ragged, dark-furred tom cat with a tattered red bandana and a massive scar that covers most of his upper face, mangling the muzzle slightly.

Overhaul- a smooth-furred, lynx-point dark tom with no tail, dark eyes, notched ears, and a mangled muzzle.

Chronos- A spiky-furred trans tom with a white, tattered collar and a mangled muzzle.

Mimic- A tall, golden-furred tom with unkempt fur, a long tail, and a mangled muzzle.

Jarr- A muscular black tom with a mangled muzzle.

Sayer- A thin, pale tom with curly fur and a mangled muzzle.

Rap- A large, white tom with long fur and broad shoulders, and a mangled muzzle.

Cheat- a young, ragged white tom with wide eyes and a mangled muzzle.

Eri- a Siamese kitten with a bent ear and lots of scars.


	2. CHAPTER ONE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this gave me cavities. Too bad I break people's hearts for the rest of this thing.

The first memory he has is squirming. Pressing close to his mother for warmth- nosing for the source of milk, eyes and ears sealed shut. He remembers the comforting licks in his fur, the sweet taste of food, his mother’s heartbeat almost thunderous compared to his own. His first few days of consciousness were like this- drifting in and out of one kind of darkness to the next, squirming and eating and being groomed.

His next memories are much, much louder. By the time his ears have unsealed, he becomes aware of other presences in this limited world of his. He has learned the voice of his mother- and with that, his name. Bravekit. He doesn’t quite understand it, but it was given to him by her, so it’s good enough. He learns other voices too- a shrill, scratchy voice from a cat named Thistlekit, and the scolding voice of what he assumes is Thistlekit’s mother. There’s also a bubbling, babbling voice- he learns that one belongs to Skykit, and a stern, high voice, belonging to Swiftkit. 

When his eyes open, he’s nearly taken aback by the world. Of course, he had crawled about pitifully before, but his mother, Softshadow being her name, always kept him confined to her side. He’s excited, too- The voices from before now have faces, and he had wanted to see them for what felt like an eternity. Peering over the edge of the nest, he spots who he assumes is Thistlekit- the spiky pale fur and ragged tail that sticks straight into the air seems to match the scratchy voice he heard before. Skykit is soft, he decides, savoring the new context for the word in his mind. Everything about her is made of circles, and she smiles back at him when she catches his eye. He ducks, shaking his pelt slightly, and turns to look at Swiftkit, whose striking black-and-white markings and large size have Bravekit’s face burning with jealousy. Now this presents him a new question- 

What does HE look like? Kneading his paws into mama’s belly, he impatiently waits for her to wake up. 

“Mama, wake up! I have a question!” His voice sounds funny to him, after all this time, and he can’t help but crinkle his nose at it. She sits up, looking down at him with a yawn.   
“What is it, Bravekit?” His tail puffs out of its own accord, eyes gleaming.  
“What do I look like?” She gives a mrrow of amusement, leaning down to pick him up by the scruff of his neck. 

“Let’s go see!” She carries him out- out of the nest! Out of the den! His senses are assaulted with sights and sounds and smells, watching the camp mull about their business. Cats lounge and eat and groom each other, chattering amongst themselves. And they’re all so big! He suddenly feels awfully tiny, shrinking against his mother as she gives a little purr. One of the cats- a big, burly black cat with patches of orange smattering his pelt in odd patterns, and the strongest blue eyes Bravekit had ever seen- approached, dipping his head slightly to Softshadow.

“He lives.”

“Of course, Flamestripe. He’s a little warrior- isn’t that right?” The coldness she has in addressing the other dissipates when she turns her attention back to her kit, and he nods shyly. Flamestripe simply gives Bravekit another look- before turning on his heel and walking away. Before the kit can contemplate what that meant, his mother was setting him down in front of a strange, clear, reflective thing. A puddle! He had heard of these!  
“Bravekit, if you’re very careful, you’ll be able to see your reflection!” She was posed to catch him if he fell in, and he tentatively got to his feet, wobbling and nearly falling out of balance. Shifting his weight to his stronger side, he peered at his own reflection. He was soft, too, like Skykit, with dark fur like mama’s and white dots smattered over his cheeks and body. His tail wiggled in the air, and his round ears flopped about at every noise. The thing he liked best, though, was his eyes. They were round and green- not anything like Flamestripe’s. They looked like mama’s eyes! Giving another look over himself, he frowns slightly. Peering back at his haunches, he then looks up at his Mother.

“Mama, where’d my leg go?” He mewled, wiggling the stump of a back leg. Her expression softened, and she carefully picked him back up. 

“You were born like that, Bravekit! It just means you’re a little different, that’s all.” He nods at her explanation. That makes sense, he supposes! He had been doing fine without it anyways. 

When they get back to the nest, he’s almost instantly tackled by the bigger kitten- Thistlekit- who gives a sharp growl and bats at his face. 

“So you ARE awake!” He crows triumphantly, Bravekit only able to sputter under the onslaught. It’s only a matter of moments though before Thistlekit is pulled off by Softshadow and set back down into his own nest. “Thistlekit, I know you’re excited to have a playmate, but you need to be more careful with Bravekit.” She chides, shaking her head. Thistlekit pouts, but he doesn’t make another attempt at a tackle. 

Bravekit takes a minute to think over things- and decides that even with cats like Thistlekit and Flamestripe, the world isn’t bad at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for how short the chapters are at first- I'm still working on my lengthy writing


	3. CHAPTER TWO

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning- There is a bit of kitten injury in this one. Nothing super graphic, but still.

“Bravekit! Come on, loser, you’re slowing us down!” Thistlekit squeaked, squirming out from under the wall of brambles that had been the nursery wall. 

“Be quiet, Thistlekit! You’re gonna wake up mama!” He whispers back, Skykit nudging him through the wall so she could squirm out, followed by Swiftkit, who nervously looked back.

“Are you sure this is a good idea? We ARE breaking the rules, after all.” He blinks, brows furrowing. Thistlekit just growls, trotting forward. “You don’t HAVE to come. But when we catch the fox, you’ll see.” The three other kits follow, Swiftkit still occasionally glancing over his shoulder to see if an adult was going to come and stop them- or if he should just go turn them in himself. But, Bravekit had to commend him at least on sticking to his word that he would come, (Firekit had turned them down and he didn’t think they could do it, just with three of them) and as Skykit bounced beside him, the forest infinitely massive in front of them. Thistlekit’s bobbing head, Skykit’s waving tail, even Swiftkit’s comparatively bulky form looks infinitesimally tiny compared to the trees, the sounds of animals scurrying and birds cawing, the smell of the earth and moist spring of moss under his paws. Even on a mission, this was...wow. It was peaceful. So peaceful, in fact, he almost bumped into Thistlekit as he skidded to a halt. Looking back, the endless green he had found so soothing seemed to pull further and further away, obscuring the camp he called home. Bravekit shuddered. 

“I see it!” Thistlekit squealed, peering through the bush. “I see the fox!” All four kits struggled to find a place to look through, and sure enough, a flash of orange fur and the gleam of sharp teeth shone through the thick underbrush. Before Bravekit could come up with a plan, Thistlekit darts forward, yowling loudly and charging the fox with tiny claws. The creature snaps its jaws, and to the horror of his denmates, the flash of yellow stuck between its teeth was Thistlekit’s tail, the kitten helplessly squirming in the hold and screeching with pain. Bravekit’s legs locked with fear, hackles standing as he and the others trembled. Oh, what he would give for his mom to come swooping in to the rescue, like she did when the freshkill pile fell on him, like she did every time Thistlekit’s play got a little too rough- but he couldn’t smell or hear any adults. It was just them. Before he could blink, he was charging forward as well, pushing himself forward as fast as he could on three legs.

_ When attacking a larger animal, go for the eyes to distract it. It’s a risky maneuver, sure. But it can be a great help if you’re the faster of the two. _ He had watched the older cats train their battle moves, ducking and leaping and batting. He flung himself forward, claws digging into the flesh of the animal’s muzzle, forcing it to release Thistlekit, who scampered to the side quickly so as not to be caught again. Bravekit dug his claws in as much as he could, clinging on for his life. As he felt his grip slipping, A flash of gold darted past, launching him off the fox and sending the beast skidding across the grass.  _ Lionstar! _ His heart practically burst with jaw, tumbling his way to where other cats waited. Cleartongue and Flamestripe soon came to the leader’s aid, while Softshadow pulled him tight into her side. His ears were ringing and his vision was blurry, entire body shaking. He could hear his mama saying something, but none of it was clear. As her tongue lapped over his ruffled fur, he started to get a clearer view of the situation. 

Thistlekit was being tended to by Thornear and Shadowstep, but the two of them seemed to be in argument. Swiftkit was pressed into Swiftstream and practically sobbing, and Skykit was hiding behind Shadowstep, trying to get a look at Thistlekit. It wasn’t long before the fox was being chased off into the underbrush, but only Bravekit seemed to notice Lionstar stepping behind a bush instead of helping his clanmates. Was he injured? Curious. Soon the kittens were being herded back to the camp, carried by the scruff and getting a thorough chewing out by the deputy. 

“What were you thinking?! You could’ve been killed- and if not for Softshadow and Thornear making a fuss, we may not have been able to find you in time! You should be ashamed of yourselves!” The booming voice worsened the headache Bravekit was developing, but it was with a shameful heat under his pelt that he realized the large tom was right. That WAS incredibly reckless- and poor Swiftkit, he had even tried to warn them! Mumbling out a promise to never do that again, he and his companions were set down in the medicine den for Silverflower to look over. Thistlekit, ever bouncy and loud, was nothing more than a pathetic lump with a mangled rear end. Skykit was given poppyseed to help her sleep, and Swiftkit was impossible to remove from his brother’s side. Bravekit himself was given a look over, and at the sight of the orange tufts of fur caught in his claws, Silvershadow gave him an amused look.

“Warrior in the making, huh?” She clicks her tongue, giving him some poppyseed as well, which he laps up with a small nod. Then he curls up, legs sore and trembling. It’s not long before he’s overcome with sleep, which is certainly welcome after the day’s events.


	4. CHAPTER THREE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ive 1) been trying to write longer chapters and 2) had to clean up the allegiances in what i can only call a goddamn bitch of an unsatisfactory situation you know how it be. Thanks to my pal Ghost for helping me rewrite the fucking apprenticeship speech, god knows the Erins have no pity for the fools like me.

Bravekit tilted a little, nearly falling under Softshadow’s frantic licking. “Mom! I’m clean!” He squealed, getting to his feet. She gave him one last lick, absolutely radiating pride. “I’m just so proud of you! My little Bravekit is gonna be an apprentice! These moons go by so fast!” She gushes, rumbling out a purr. He ducks his head, but gives her a loving nuzzle before hopping off to join his friends. Skykit had been practically made into an orb by her moms, and Swiftkit was being hyped up by his brother. Thistlekit’s pelt was untameable, but Thornear was giving it her all, anyway. He looked over to where his Clanmates had already started to gather, including the apprentices that had been named a moon earlier. Catching Firepaw’s eye, he ducks his head nervously, feeling heat rise to the tips of his ears. They should’ve been apprenticed at the same time as Quietpaw, Firepaw, Frogpaw, and Rockpaw, but had been held back a moon because of their fox-hunting stunt. But now was the day! They’d finally get to be apprentices! As Lionstar leaped to the top of Highrock, the four kits scurried off eagerly to take their places.

“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here under Highrock for a Clan meeting!” He booms, although it was hardly necessary- near everyone had already gathered.

“We are here today to witness the rite of passage every young cat must go through, another step on their path to serving their Clan. Thistlekit, step forward.” The cream-colored tom bounds forward, stump of a tail wiggling in excitement.

“Thistlekit, you have reached the age of 6 moons, and it is now time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Thistlepaw. Your mentor will be Shadowstep. I hope Shadowstep will pass down all he knows to you.” He steps back, and before Bravekit could even blink, Shadowstep was on the platform, looking down at Thistlepaw with unreadable eyes. Then Lionstar continues.

“Shadowstep, you are now ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Mousetail, and you have shown yourself to be level-headed and strong of will. You will be the mentor of Thistlepaw, and I expect you to pass on all that you know to him.” The two touched noses briefly, before Thistlepaw darted back down so the ceremony could continue, and Shadowstep slinked off to his seat next to Sparrowtongue.  _ An odd choice, _ Bravekit thought,  _ but an understandable one. Shadowstep is bound to keep Thistlepaw in line. _ After Thistlepaw came Swiftpaw, apprenticed to Cleartongue-  _ Both with a strong sense of right and wrong _ . Followed by Skykit, who was apprenticed to Breezefall.  _ She’s young, but friendly. A good match for Skypaw. _ Looking around as the two touched noses, Bravekit tried to guess who his mentor would be. He knew he wouldn’t end up in the medicine den- Quietpaw had volunteered for that, but he couldn’t think of any warrior who’d want to take on a three-legged apprentice. Pelt suddenly uncomfortable with shame, he briefly entertained the thought that he might not even be getting apprenticed at all! This, however, ceased when he was called up to Highrock, pelt burning under every scrabble of his paws on the steep stone. 

“Bravekit, you have reached the age of 6 moons, and it is now time for you to be apprenticed.” Lionstar begins, pausing slightly. “You have, in this short time, proven yourself as a fine future warrior. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Bravepaw.” The praise fills his heart with joy, ears perking slightly. “I will be your mentor, and I will work to impart all my knowledge upon you until you receive your warrior name.” His entire body seemed to buzz with excitement, slightly unsure if this was actually happening. But as Lionstar bent his massive head down, noses touching for the brief, but infinite moment, Bravepaw knew that this was as real as the warmth he felt in those first days of life.

“Thistlepaw! Swiftpaw! Skypaw! Bravepaw!” The chant started, and spread quickly, the entire camp cheering for the new apprentices. He gave Lionstar one last breathless squeak, before running off to confirm with his mother what had actually just happened. He was an apprentice! And his mentor was Lionstar! 

“Don’t get a big head because the leader picked you as his apprentice, Stumpy.” Bravepaw cocked his head to see Thistlepaw’s face pulled into a sneer. “He probably just felt bad for you or something.” Bravepaw felt the heat rise up in his face again, but swallowed it down. “You heard him. He said I’d already proven that I’ll be a good warrior!” He retorts, ear flicking slightly.

“Yeah, that was just to make you feel better. If anything, all you’ve done is drag the rest of us back, being so small and helpless like you are.” He spits, and Bravepaw finds himself puffing out. “I saved you from that fox!” He exclaims, causing Thistlepaw to bristle as well, baring his teeth in a snarl. 

“You didn’t save me! All you did was get in the way! And if you don’t learn your lesson, I’ll rake your ears off!” Amber eyes narrow angrily, but before the situation can escalate, Shadowstep is grabbing Thistlepaw by the scruff. 

“Save your energy for your vigil tonight. Mousebrain.” He drones, looking down at Bravepaw in annoyance. 

“You too, apprentice. Get rested.” With that, he releases his apprentice, before stalking off to a sunny spot to nap. Bravepaw takes the opportunity to skitter away, taking a seat next to Skypaw.

“Thistlepaw being a thorn in the nest again?” She meows, blinking over at him.

“You said it.” He manages to push out a laugh, looking over his shoulder. He doesn’t see Thistlepaw, but boy, he sure does see someone else. Firepaw was on his way towards them, eyes fixed firmly on Bravepaw. He sits down smoothly, face impassive as he looks down at the black-furred apprentice. 

“Congrats.” Is all he says, head tilted carefully. Skypaw takes that as her cue to go pester her mentor.

“Uh, thanks! You too!” Good going Bravepaw. Two sentences and you’ve fucked this up. However, the slip doesn’t seem to bother the other apprentice- in fact, he almost thinks he sees a flash of a small smile before the face returns to a blank slate.

“Thanks.” Just as Bravepaw thinks he’s making leeway, a booming voice calls him.

“Bravepaw! May I speak with you, please?” Lionstar calls, and Bravepaw pushes out a small apology before trotting away from his friend and towards the golden tabby.

“Yes, Lionstar?” He blinks, wondering if he’s already done something wrong. But instead, he’s just ushered into the Leader’s den, where Streamrunner, Cleartongue, and Silverflower wait. “What’s all this?” He squeaks, and Cleartongue simply moves to guard the door. Lionstar takes a breath, but continues.

“Young Bravepaw, I have picked you as my apprentice because of your dedication, courage, and heroic spirit. StarClan has chosen you as well.” 

 

Now just hold on a minute.

“Starclan?” He breathes, eyes widening.

“There is a great darkness in the world, Young Bravepaw. You weren’t born, but I’m sure you know of the battle with IronClan.” Bravepaw nods, thinking carefully.

“The one with...the dogs?” This earns a nod of affirmation from his mentor.

“One battle won does not mean a won war, Bravepaw. By becoming my apprentice, you become successor to this war. I wish to give you an opportunity to back down.”

A War.

The thought of war was not one that pleased Bravepaw. But this was an opportunity to become a warrior who could serve his Clan to the best of his ability- he had been chosen, so why squander that now?

“I won’t back down.” His voice doesn’t waver, despite the terrible anxiety wracking his gut. Lionstar smiles.

“Then tomorrow, after your vigil, we will head to the Moonlands. I wish we could allow you more time to rest, but…” He pauses. “There simply is never time.”

“I’ll be able to do it. I promise.”

“I know, Bravepaw. You may go now.” He can sense Streamrunner’s eyes following him as he leaves, and Cleartongue gives him a reassuring smile, but to no avail. His body is trembling by the time he gets to the apprentice den, curling up in an empty nest and sinking into sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Constructive criticism is welcome


	5. CHAPTER 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I BROKE 3,500 WORDS WITH THIS ONE IM SO PROUD OF MYSELF!! usually i struggle to break 1k so like,,,toot toot  
> Also, thank you guys for the nice comments!!! I really appreciate it!!! Also the lore in this chapter is totally self-indulgent but im proud of it

The vigil is long, and silent. The four apprentices take their places at different spots in camp, staring up at the stars. The moon passes overhead, and Bravepaw finds himself recalling a story Softshadow used to tell him when the nighttime was too overwhelming. 

_ Once, long ago,  _ she would start.  _ There were four clans. _

_ But mama,  _ he would interrupt,  _ There are four clans now!  _ She would laugh, licking his forehead fur into a little curl, and then continue her story.

_ Silly Bravekit, they were different Clans, than those of now. These Clans were made of powerful, massive cats- So great that they dwarfed even Twolegs when they stood on their hind legs, and could take down wolves with single swipes of their paws. In the mountains were the Leopards, with fur that shone in silver and gold, and black spots as deep as the night sky. The Leopards were strong climbers, and stealthy hunters. They survived the harsh mountain winters with thick pelts and long tails, and preyed on the wolves who followed the caribou there. But they were as loving as they were powerful, and they were lead by the kind Heartstar. In the pine forest were the Tigers, with striped pelts made of sun and shadow, and thick, powerful limbs. The Tigers were powerful in form, and strong in spirit, led by the stubborn Willstar. On the moor were the Cheetahs, lean and fast, with spotted pelts and long limbs, who first learned to expand the rabbit warrens beneath the soil, whose harsh way of life taught them to be as strong as stone, and lead by the leader Ironstar. And in our forest, Bravekit, were the Lions. _

_ Like Lionstar? _

_ Close. They were massive, golden-maned cats with tufted tails, whose voices boomed through the forest. They were the most close-knit of the Clans, and respected among all as the most honest and noble. Their teeth were bigger than a cat’s forepaw, and they owned the forest, not through force, but through the respect of others, lead by the leader Mightstar. _

_ And what happened to them, Mama? _

_ The wind across the mooreland is bitter and cold, Bravekit, and it froze the Cheetahs’ hearts until they shattered like ice. Their leader, Ironstar, a bitter husk, demanded the others bow to him and him alone. They refused. The fight was long, and cruel, even with the Cheetahs being outnumbered. They used the wolves the Leopards had preyed on, and the foxes and badgers that had been driven from the forest. And as Ironstar had to face those he betrayed, Ironstar gave a mighty leap, tearing the sun from the sky, turning day into night, allowing him to escape into the darkness. But the moon aided Mightstar, Heartstar, and Willstar, and so they persisted. So, he gave another leap, tearing the moon and stars as if he were clawing off another cat’s pelt, freezing the world in a darkness so black it seemed to swallow everything in front of them. But yet the leaders persisted, following his footsteps. When Ironstar had finally been forced to surrender, and driven underground into the warrens, Mightstar, Willstar, and Heartstar had to right the wrongs he had committed. _

_ “I will be the sun,” said Mightstar, his mane a radiant gold. “And I shall light the days and bring them warmth.” _

_ “I will be the moon,” said Willstar, her eye a gleaming silver. “And I shall watch over the night and guard dreams.” _

_ “And I will be the night sky,” said Heartstar, her pelt rippling. “I will give our descendents their final resting place in my fur, as warm and safe as when they were brought into the world.” And so, the great leaders climbed to the Moonlands, churning up stardust from within the earth as they leapt into the sky. _

_And now they protect StarClan, right, Mama?_ _  
__And StarClan protects us._

Bravepaw closed his eyes, just for a moment, before returning the moon’s gaze. He would be visiting the Moonlands tomorrow. The place where cats met with stars. In a breathless bit of wonder, he realizes just how tiny he really is in this world. But it is not a terrible feeling. 

 

The morning comes slowly, in Bravepaw’s mind, dew settling on his fur and the grass beneath his paws. He’s stiff, he can already tell, from being practically motionless all night. He allows his gaze to wander over his clanmates- Thistlepaw has done surprisingly well, but he can see the stump of his tail lashing impatiently. Skypaw seems lost in her thoughts, staring at her paws, and Swiftpaw, ever diligent, has his gaze forward and ears rotating about for any hint of noise. The morning changes from orange, to purple, to blue, and soon enough, cats are padding out to check on the apprentices. Blossomnose is one of the first- Bravepaw has to stifle a laugh at her curious expression. Lionstar isn’t long either, eagerly trotting out.

“You all can stop being so serious now, the sun is up.” He laughs a little, gaze resting on Bravepaw.

“Thank StarClan! I thought I was gonna go crazy staring at the brambles all night.” Thistlepaw grumbles, immediately bouncing up and stretching his legs. Skypaw just...flops over, giving a relieved huff. Swiftpaw watches for a moment longer, before also getting up to stretch. Bravepaw gives himself a minute to work out a crick in his shoulders, but then heads over to his mentor.

“Will we be leaving soon?” He meows, blinking his eyes and trying to ignore how tired he felt. Oof.

“Soon. I’ll have Flamestripe and Cleartongue come with- at least, to escort us to the edge of the territory. And Silverflower will have to give us some herbs before we go.” Bravepaw isn’t surprised at his leader’s choice of warriors to join, but he is amused. Camp gossip rarely missed the nursery after all, and he had heard plenty about Cleartongue not sleeping in the warriors den nearly as much as he should be.

“Right.” He nods. “Will Firepaw and Swiftpaw be coming too?” He looks back at Swiftpaw, who’s being congratulated by his brother and mentor, and then to the apprentice den, hoping for any sign of Firepaw.

“They will. Never good to leave apprentices in camp to make trouble for themselves.” Lionstar laughs again, tail motioning for Bravepaw to join him in the medicine den. Bravepaw has to scamper to keep up with his long strides, and as they enter the medicine den, he can hear Flamestripe already barking out orders for the morning patrols. Silverflower is already up, the tiny she-cat sorting herbs into little bundles for the two of them.  
“Quietpaw, can you tell Lionstar and Bravepaw about these bundles while I go sort our juniper? Good practice, you know.” She smiles, heading towards the back of the den while Quietpaw shuffles forward and looks over the bundles. Despite Silverflower saying she’d be busy, Bravepaw watches her flick an ear back to listen to Quietpaw as he speaks.

“Um, this one,” he points to a serrated leaf. “Is burnet, and it helps...your endurance.” He’s borderline mumbling, head ducked low. “And this one, is daisy leaf, well, you know it’s a leaf- it...helps with sore joints, and this one, is sorrel, and it keeps you from getting hungry, on the way.” He looks back at his mentor, who gives an approving flick of her tail. 

“Wow! You’ve learned a lot in the past moon, huh?” Bravepaw chirps, head tilted. He could never remember so many herbs, especially not in so little time. Quietpaw ducked further at the praise, shyly pushing the bundles to the pair. They eat them quickly, and Bravepaw scrunches his nose at the taste.

“Do we at least have time to eat before we leave?” He asks, following the leader out of the den as he calls another ‘thank you’ back to the medicine cats.

“We can grab something from the fresh-kill pile, yes. But in any other circumstance, it’s better to hunt first before feeding yourself.” He reminds, picking a squirrel out of the pile. Bravepaw grabs a finch, gulping it down eagerly. As he finishes, Flamestripe, Cleartongue, Firepaw, and Swiftpaw are approaching, and a few cats are leaving for patrol. Bravepaw pauses, and looks up at Lionstar one more time.

“Can I say bye to my mom first? She’s been really excited about this, and I don’t want to go off without letting her know.” Flamestripe’s mouth opens, as if he’s about to say ‘no’, but Cleartongue gives him a light whap on the shoulder and looks to Lionstar.

“Of course.” The leader dips his head, and Bravepaw scurries to the nursery as fast as he could. Softshadow seemed to just be waking up, and he presses his nose into her side with a smile.

“I’m heading out with Lionstar today! I’ll be back later, okay? And I’ll tell you about everything I see!” She smiles at him, licking his head. 

“I’m looking forward to it. Be safe, okay?”

“I promise!” With that, he hurries back to where the patrol is waiting, meeting Swiftpaw’s smile with a grin of his own.

“Looks like we’re all set to go, then.” Lionstar rumbles, heading for the entrance to the camp. Bravepaw follows close to his side, eager to see the forest again after so long. It’s not nearly as scary as before- although, he figures he has grown since then. Swiftpaw trots to catch up with him (it’s not hard, the black-and-white tom is nearly as big as his goddamn mentor) and looks over.

“I’m quite honored to be in the same patrol, Bravepaw! Let’s do our best to follow instruction today!” He meows, tail sticking straight up. 

“An honor?” He tilts his head, blinking. “We were practically littermates!”

“You heard it yourself- Lionstar clearly sees you with great potential! And he’s right, the way you leaped at that fox-” His voice lowers slightly in shame, as does his tail. “I was too scared to do anything- Thistlepaw could have died, but I was frozen in fear!” Bravepaw bumps his shoulder lightly, tail resting on his haunches. 

“Swiftpaw, we were kits! I acted in a reckless way- and you were right in the first place. We never should have left camp. Just because I jumped at the fox didn’t mean there was any guarantee it would work- we got lucky that the warriors showed up when they did.” 

“Yes- well-” Swiftpaw pauses, before beaming at Bravepaw. “Let’s try to become great warriors together, then! I look forward to training with you!”

“You too!” Bravepaw finds himself grinning back, positively awash with Swiftpaw’s enthusiasm. Glancing over, he notices Firepaw watching them from behind Flamestripe, face passive, but eyes curious.

“I can’t wait to train with you too, Firepaw!” He beams, slowing down so he could walk side-by-side with the split tom. “I’m sure you’ve learned some really cool stuff from Flamestripe.” Firepaw simply flicks an ear.

“I guess.”

“You’ll have to show me when we get back to camp! We have to catch up to you, after all!”

“I guess.” There wasn’t much change in tone, but just enough for Bravepaw to tell that Firepaw was trying to get more distant, mentally. So he looks back to Swiftpaw, who looks back with a flick of the tail. They continue their silent, but meaningless and frantic conversation for a few more minutes, before he turns back to Firepaw.

“So, um. What’s apprentice duties like?” He asks, tail swishing.

“Hard.” Firepaw’s gaze fixates on Flamestripe briefly. “It certainly wears you out.” Bravepaw’s tail drooped, realizing that his apprenticeship was bound to be leagues different than Firepaw’s. Firepaw was training with Flamestripe, and while he didn’t know the deputy well, he had a reputation for a harsh tongue and a heavy paw. And for him to be his own father, too... Something in Bravepaw’s chest swelled with sympathy, but all he could say was “Oh.”

They continue in silence, leaves softening the sounds of their pawsteps, before Firepaw gives a little tilt of his head towards the warriors at the front of the patrol. Lionstar and Cleartongue are pressed side-by-side, and Flamestripe is giving them as wide a berth he can give without it being too obvious that he’s annoyed. Bravepaw gives a little snort, nudging Firepaw. 

“I’d heard some things, but jeeze, those two are really head over heels, huh?” He laughs, looking to Firepaw for any sort of reaction. The other apprentice does crack a small smile, bumping back into Bravepaw.

“Yeah.” And with that small smile, Bravepaw’s heart feels like it’s going to float out of his chest. Oh, StarClan, he’s starting to see where they’re coming from.

“It seems we’ve arrived at the WillClan border. This is as far as we can take you.” Flamestripe’s voice cuts him out of his thoughts, and he bounds back up to Lionstar’s side. 

“I’ll see you back at camp!” He calls to his friends, watching them leave with their mentors to explore the rest of the territory. Lionstar calls out to a WillClan patrol, who approach him with a wary trot. The patrol is composed of a curly-furred tom who looked like he had a chip on his shoulder, a yellow-furred apprentice with a disdainful glare, a gorgeous golden-furred she-cat, a large-pawed ginger apprentice, a grey tom with speckles, a grey apprentice who looked like he hadn’t been groomed a day in his life, and led by a white and red tom with a large underbite.

“Redstar! It’s good to see you, friend.” Lionstar dips his head, and Bravepaw follows his example.

“Oh? So the leader of MightClan himself comes to OUR border-” He hears the yellow-furred apprentice snicker, before the ginger she-cat cuffs him around the ears.

“Lionstar. What brings you to WillClan territory?” Redstar asks, shooting the two young cats a look.

“We’re on our way to the Moonlands. This is my apprentice, Bravepaw.” He gestures, and Bravepaw ducks his head even lower.

“An apprentice, eh? I’ve got one of my own- Violetpaw.” He uses his tail to point to the messy-furred tom, whose gaze is boring holes into Bravepaw’s pelt. “Specklestorm, Goldensnake, show Lionstar and his apprentice to the HeartClan border. The rest of us will continue with our patrol.” Redstar then turns, taking off into the thick pine woods with the rest of his warriors.

“Follow me!” Specklestorm chirps, giving the two a grin despite his previously intimidating demeanor. “And don’t cause any trouble.” Goldensnake adds, her apprentice, the ginger-furred she-cat from before following close by her side. The two follow the cats deeper into the forest, Bravepaw taking in as much as he can to tell Softshadow about when he gets back to camp.

“I’m Maplepaw.” The apprentice introduces herself, cutting Bravepaw from his thoughts.

“I’m Bravepaw- well, I guess you already heard that- it’s nice to meet you?” He gives a sheepish smile, and she smiles in return.

“So, what’s it like, being a MightClan apprentice?” She asks, eyes sparkling curiously.

“Oh, uh, this is sort of my first day, so…” He rolls his shoulders, trying not to lose his balance in the process.

“Going to the Moonlands? On your first day?” Her questioning continues, and he just gives a tight smile.

“It’s a MightClan thing.”

“Oh.”

Awkward silence descends between the two of them, only broken up by an occasional joke from Specklestorm and the sharp-witted responses of Goldensnake. Lionstar laughs along, but any attempt to follow the conversation leaves Bravepaw more confused than before. When they reach the beginning of the mountain, the patrol starts to head back, and Maplepaw simply gives him another smile.

“Well, it was nice meeting you, Bravepaw from MightClan. Good luck with climbing up the Moonlands.” Her eyes linger on his leg, or, lack thereof, and he ducks his head a little. He knows she meant well, but he might as well have told her ‘Good luck not tripping on your big paws.’

From there, they wait until another patrol comes along- He only really remembers the calico tom with an attitude and his...gloomy apprentice- who then lead them up the mountain, as far as their boundaries lead. Bravepaw’s eyes widen at the sight- a steep slope of rock that flattens off into a plateau far beyond his head. 

“We’re climbing THAT?” He squeaks out to his mentor, who just gives him a sad smile.

“I guess StarClan doesn’t like too many visitors, yeah?” Lionstar then proceeds to laugh at his own joke, before starting to climb up the sheer rock. Bravepaw hesitates- he can see even Lionstar isn’t having an easy time, and Lionstar’s the strongest cat he knows! But he knows that if he’s ever going to make it as a great warrior, he’s going to have to learn how to conquer a simple rock wall. He leaps to the first foothold fairly easily, and from there, it’s a test of strength and endurance- his forepaws will have to do most of the work, and great StarClan, does it  _ ache _ . Lionstar is paces ahead of him, and it’s not long before every muscle in his body is screaming at him to give up. Rock crumbles beneath his hind leg, and he quickly jumps to the next hold. Watching the path Lionstar takes, he starts calculating his own- follow in the footsteps of Lionstar, who’s made this journey before. It feels like eternity in a grey, flat hell, and by the time he pulls himself above the edge with a gasp, his entire body is trembling and the sun is dipping below the horizon. 

Lionstar is already there, laying in one of the smooth craters-  _ footholds of the Greats as they leapt into the sky _ \- and he motions for Bravepaw to lay in the one next to him. The poor apprentice’s body struggles to stagger into the crater, but when he does, he takes notice of something he hadn’t before. The ground was smattered with glittering spots- and much more so in the craters, and as the moon rose, the rock below them was turned into a shimmering, glowing, reflection of the starry sky. Lionstar lays down his head and closes his eyes, and Bravepaw, breathless, does the same, sleep washing over him like a chilled wave of moonlight.

When his eyes open, he’s no longer on the Moonlands- the grass beneath his feet is soft and shimmery, and Lionstar stands beside him, pelt radiant and eyes aglow. The sight in front of him, however, knocks him breathless. A cat, fur drenched in starshine, glimmering, ebbing, and not quite solid, stands before them, her long, black fur and golden eyes somehow offering all the warmth he had felt with Softshadow, dipping her head to greet Lionstar. Behind her, six cats, indescribable but overwhelmingly  _ powerful _ waver and flicker in his vision. And further yet, he sees the Great Cats, Willstar’s unblinking gaze fixed on him, Heartstar’s body curling and breathing, and Mightstar’s solemn but regal face regarding him with an impassive expression.

“Lionstar, my apprentice, you have chosen well.” Her voice rings with the joy of many, and Lionstar leaps to touch noses with her. 

“Goldenstar! Oh, it’s been so long-” His purr is stuck in his throat. “I knew you would approve of him-” He’s cut off by his own voice breaking, and Bravepaw feels a rush of emotion he can’t identify. Goldenstar turns to him, the cats behind her moving as she does.

“Bravepaw, last of your litter, loved by a mother and cared for by friends.” She smiles, walking closer- no, all 7 are walking closer, somehow one, somehow not. 

“You are our chosen vessel, Bravepaw. You are full of light, but there is a great darkness coming. A darkness no cat could withstand alone.” He shudders, unable to pull his gaze away from the glimmering cat.

“We will give you the will of a Tiger, the heart of a Leopard, and the might of a Lion, Bravepaw. But to have such gifts is to bear their weight. Will you back down?” Their voice echoes in his mind, but somehow, he is calm.

“No.” The word is pulled from his throat- unwavering, unflinching. Goldenstar smiles, touches her- no, touches THEIR nose to his, and then, everything is pain. 

It’s a scorching, white-hot pain, one that wracks every bone and every muscle- his eyes roll back into his head and his legs lock, trembling, but unable to fall. His fur stands on end as the pain continues to ebb through him in waves, mouth opening and closing, but unable to make any noise that wasn’t just a choked cry. But as quickly as it began, it ended, his legs giving way, his body shaking and shuddering with the effort. Goldenstar wraps herself around him, as does Lionstar, and she begins grooming his pelt back down. 

“Oh Bravepaw,” She says, voice lulling his eyes to a close. “To hurt is to be alive, but to be alive is not just pain.” He can feel a familiar warmth washing over him, and as his eyes finally close, he awakens, back in the crater in the Moonlands, slightly shivering in the cold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's 5:13 AM here. I really need to learn to write during the day


	6. CHAPTER 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! This chapter took a lot out of me to write- I don't do a lot of domestic scenes, you know? Plus, we've been getting ready for a huge trip (for which i leave in 2 hours haha) so I haven't had a ton of time. Shout out to all the super nice commentors (in particular turtlehoffmann2251)! You guys make me really fired up to work on this thing! I appreciate it so much!

\------------------------------------------------------------

“I’m sorry you had to go through that, Bravepaw.” Lionstar rumbles, causing the apprentice to raise his head to look at him. 

“I...feel pretty great, actually.” Something about him felt new, replenished. As if the journey here had never happened. Lionstar smiles, standing and heading towards the other end of the plateau.

“Ready to head down?”

“I’m ready!” Bravepaw hops up, making his way to where Lionstar stands. Unlike where they had come in, the side is only steep for a short distance, before becoming an easily sloped hillside. “Why didn’t we come in this way?!” He asks, looking to his mentor with a huff.

“It wasn’t that bad of a climb, was it?” Lionstar ducks his head, coughing slightly.

“Well, no, but still!” He protests, following the golden tabby as he jumps down. The air is chilly, but not unpleasant, and his stomach gives a low rumble. Lionstar looks at him, sighs, and looks over at the landscape below.

“We won’t be able to hunt until we get back to our territory, I’m sorry.”

“I’ll be fine!” He chirps, skittering down the slope. The journey back is uneventful, although Bravepaw was mostly just focusing on what to tell his mom. The sprint across the thunderpath was the only thing he really had to work for, paws sore and the smell of the hard rock causing his nose to crinkle. Once they were back on their own territory- home sweet home- He finds himself starting to run, wanting to get back to camp as fast as possible. He can hear his mentor chuckle at his enthusiasm. He bursts through the camp entrance, pelt prickling- and Lionstar’s not far behind. Skidding past Rockpaw and Sparrowtongue, he heads right into the nursery to say hi to his mom.  
“Mom- it was great!” He bursts, chest heaving. She lets out a rumbling laugh, motioning for him to sit near her. 

“That’s wonderful, Bravepaw! I’m glad your first day out was a good one.” She licks his head and he purrs. Thornear gives a snort.

“If he keeps bargin’ into the nursery like that, they’re gonna demote him back to kit status.”

“Oh hush.” Honeyglow flicks her tail, and Bravepaw gives his mom one last nuzzle.

“I’m gonna go ask Swiftpaw how his time has been. I love you!” He calls, hopping out of the nursery with a smile. It doesn’t take him long to spot his friend- and better yet, Skypaw and Frogpaw are there too! Bounding over, he takes a seat nearby, tail practically wagging.

“Hey guys!” 

“Hey Bravepaw! What’s up?” Skypaw beamed, tilting her head.

“It’s good to see you again! You were gone for quite some time. Did the journey go well?” Swiftpaw gestured about wildly with his tail, so much so that Frogpaw batted lightly at it.

“It did! The mountain was gorgeous! HeartClan is really lucky in that regard.”

“But not in the winter, kero. Doesn’t it get cold?” Frogpaw glanced upwards. “Doesn’t sound fun, kero.”

“Even then, being that high up sounds like so much fun!” Skypaw stands on her hind legs for a moment, batting at the sky. “Up in the clouds!”

“So, what’ve you guys done so far?” Bravepaw tilts his head, eager to hear about what he had missed.

“Breezefall took me to explore the territory! It was so cool!” Skypaw can’t seem to sit still, beaming brightly. “She even showed me how to hunt! I caught a bird!”

“Cleartongue also showed me the territory!” Swiftpaw adds. “We discussed the warrior code while practicing hunting techniques. It was quite enlightening!” Bravepaw purrs out a laugh. That was a very Swiftpaw thing to do.

“I’m gonna have a lot of catching up to do!” He shakes his head a little, ears drooping. He was  _ wiped _ . 

“Hopefully Lionstar takes it easy on you, kero. That trip must’ve been hard, kero.” Frogpaw croaks, looking to the leader’s den.

“I...doubt it. But oh well! We still have to make up for that extra moon.” He laughs a little.

“Kero. Be prepared to work hard.” Frogpaw stretches, and soon the tiny she-cat heads towards the apprentice den. “I’m heading off to sleep, kero. I recommend you do the same.” Skypaw nods, bouncing after. “Wait for me, Frogpaw!” She chirps, pressing close to the other she-cat’s side.

_ Huh. When were they so close? _ Tilting his head, Bravepaw looked to Swiftpaw, who seemed impassive to the display.

“We should get some rest as well, Bravepaw! Tomorrow will be an early day for all of us!” He smiles, and Bravepaw can’t help but smile back.

“Let’s give it our all!” The two toms follow the mollies into the apprentice den, and the moment Bravepaw lays in the nest, he  _ crashes _ . Out like a light. 

He does, however, awaken when Firepaw pads in, late into the night. Bravepaw’s eyes strain to see in the darkness of the den, but he makes out the stiff movements and slump of his shoulders. Curious, he sits up slightly, trying not to alert the other to his surveillance. The half-blind tom is sluggish, and Bravepaw realizes with a growing horror that there’s blood swelling up against the white fur. Through the entrance of the den, he sees massive black and orange legs heading off to somewhere else in camp. Moving closer, he presses his nose to Firepaw’s pelt, looking up with sad, green eyes. The tom doesn’t even have the energy to be startled, instead weakly swiping at him with sheathed claws. Bravepaw backs away, but stays close. Careful to not wake their clanmates, he whispers-  
“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Got caught in the brambles, is all.” He mutters, curling his paws under his body. Bravepaw didn’t believe that for a second, but he simply thumped his tail.  
“Do you need to go see Silverflower?”

“No.” Bravepaw also didn’t believe that. But it was better not to push.

“Right. Well, Goodnight, Firepaw.” This doesn’t get a response, and Bravepaw carefully picks his way back to his own nest. 

_ Suspicious. I should keep an eye on Flamestripe.  _ He thought, tucking his legs in.  _ Hopefully we’ll all be training together tomorrow. _

 

⭐

 

“RISE AND SHINE, APPRENTICES! IT IS TIME FOR YOUR TRAINING!” Lionstar practically roars into the apprentice den, causing multiple adolescent cats to jump. Thistlepaw hisses, Swiftpaw’s already awake- The only one NOT startled is Skypaw, who simply rolls around and yawns. As the apprentices slowly shuffle out, they’re met face-to-face with their mentors, who, other than Lionstar, Cleartongue, Flamestripe, and Sparrowtongue, look equally as exhausted.  _ Especially _ Shadowstep.

“TODAY WE WILL BE PRACTICING BATTLE MOVES! THESE ARE IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY WITH SUCH TENSION IN THE FOREST! PAIR UP WITH YOUR MENTORS AND PLEASE FOLLOW US TO THE TRAINING GROUND!” His voice echoes around the camp, and other warriors are starting to poke out sleepily. Bravepaw, however, has his eyes focused on one cat.

Flamestripe. Bravepaw would get down to the source of where Firepaw’s late-night wounds, whether the sour tortie liked it or not. It just made him nervous that the answer was probably “not”. He trots over to Lionstar, trying not to let his feelings of disgust show through. He’ll have to investigate later. 

“Hope you’re ready to get your tail kicked, Stumpy!” Thistlepaw’s harsh voice calls, cut off by Shadowstep flicking his tail over his mouth.

“Don’t be fucking rude. Come on.” The trip to the training ground is short, Skypaw bouncing on her toes at the sight of the clearing.  
“Isn’t this exciting? I am SO excited!” She chirps, beaming back at Bravepaw.

“It is really cool.” He purrs, kicking a bit at the sandy soil.

“Indeed a prime place for training!” Swiftpaw joins, tail straight up. All Bravepaw can do is note Firepaw’s discomfort. Lionstar moves near the center, motioning for Bravepaw to join.  
“BRAVEPAW! YOU AND THISTLEPAW WILL BE DEMONSTRATING OUR FIRST MATCH!” Oh no. He doesn’t want to give Lionstar a Look, but...Thistlepaw? The cream tom saunters to the middle of the circle, stretching out his forepaws.  
“SHADOWSTEP, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE RULES?”  
“Right, right.” Bravepaw blinks, scooting out of the way when Shadowstep appears behind him. Shadowstep takes his place between the two apprentices.

“Listen up, apprentices. No claws. Don’t get too wild. Forfeit or immobility equals defeat.” Then he’s gone, watching the two square up. Thistlepaw puffs out, circling Bravepaw with a sneer. Bravepaw arches his back in response, but when he does, Thistlepaw lunges forward. _He’s aiming for my back leg!_ He tries to move in time, but it’s sweeped out from under him, causing him to start falling. He hits the ground with a thud, and Thistlepaw is leaping to try and pin him. His first training session, and he was going to lose! Time seems to slow, and Goldenstar echoes in his mind.  
_Will of a Tiger, Heart of a Leopard, and the Might of a Lion._

His body hurts- but in a good way, like something inside is just aching to get out. Breathe in- and Thistlepaw’s fur is blowing in the wind. Breath out- his heartbeat is in his ears. 

His paw raises, and within the blink of an eye, there’s a loud THUNK, and Thistlepaw is sent skidding across the dirt. Bravepaw gets to his feet, the leg he used to strike suddenly aching, as if he’d used everything he had just for the one hit. It’s with a dawning horror that he realizes Thistlepaw’s nose is bleeding.

“I’m gonna kill you for that, Stumpy!” He shrieks, and before Bravepaw can get his tired limbs to move out of the way, Thistlepaw is on him, claws digging into Bravepaw’s pelt, teeth digging into his ear. He tries to squirm away- but relief doesn’t come until Thistlepaw’s grabbed by the scruff by an angry Shadowstep.

“Claws in, Thistlepaw. Back down.” It takes a second, but soon he starts to relax, sulking in the grip of his mentor. Shadowstep releases him, and as Lionstar helps Bravepaw to his paws, he can pick up the sound of him giving Thistlepaw a scolding.

“That kind of behavior and attitude won’t make you a better warrior, brat. A clan is about working together in the most efficient way possible.” He continues on, but Bravepaw isn’t willing to sit and watch Thistlepaw get chewed out. Instead, he presses close to Lionstar, and settles down on the sideline at the next pair up. Skypaw and Rockpaw- Skypaw just dances around until Rockpaw wears himself out with a “Great match! Your dodging is crazy!”. Swiftpaw and Firepaw- even with Swiftpaw’s superior speed and size, all it takes is a few smart, strong blows to get him down. And then Frogpaw and Skypaw, who end up giggling after Frogpaw’s massive pounce sends Skypaw bowling across the ground.

“Bravepaw, are you up for another round?” Lionstar looks down, ears flicking. He gives a little yawn, head drooping and body aching.

“I don’t think I can, I’m sorry. That one hit just...seemed to take everything out of me.” Lionstar nods.

“I understand. Let’s take you to see Silverflower.” He follows his mentor curiously, and when the little she-cat sees him, she shakes her head.

“Quietpaw, can you go clean off Frostfall’s ticks? She wasn’t complaining, but there were some on her earlier.” The square-jawed apprentice nods, taking a bundle of mousebile with him and trotting out from the den.

“Now, what’s all this about?” She curls her tail over her paws.

“Bravepaw needs something to keep his strength up. Training has worn him out.”  
“And I suppose that’s your doing? Don’t try and hide things from me, Lionstar, I may be old, but I’m not blind!” She snorts, sorting through her herbs. “Bravepaw, allow me to predict what happened. You performed an action, perhaps out of desperation, and after an overperformance, you felt exhausted, right?” She looks to him, and he nods. “Lionstar didn’t tell you what you were dealing with, then.” The massive tom looks at his paws with shame. “Well? Tell him!” She chides, flicking her tail.

“Bravepaw, the Power of the Ancients is something that takes...practice to master. You channeled it without previous experience, and so it drained you with the after effect. In time, you will learn to use it, but...try not to rush it, okay?” He lowers his head, giving Bravepaw a sheepish grin. He just nods, tucking his paws underneath him.

“As for what to give you, I think you just need a little nap after I take care of those scratches.” She chews up some herbs Bravepaw can’t recognize- but they smell _ foul _ -And starts licking them into the wounds. It stings, but he simply digs his claws into the ground until she finishes.

“I’m sorry about all this, Silverflower. I’ll try to be more careful next time.”  
“I know you will.” She gives his head a comforting lick. “Now get some rest.”  
[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/142663431@N08/42012876625/in/dateposted-public/)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I added a Bravepaw ref as a thank you for all the support- Although youre free to envision him as you please! This is just my interpretation :)


	7. CHAPTER 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long!!! I had a rough summer and school recently started- but I've made lots of art, so look forward to that!

Icepaw’s claws dug further into the soil, displacing a centipede that skittered past his paws and right into the expectant grasp of Sunpaw, who hooked it onto one claw and swallowed it down without hesitation. Then the she-cat returned to her work, applying poultice after poultice to the tom’s scabbing skin. 

 

“Gross.” He mutters, nose crinkling at the bitter smell. 

 

“If you don't like it, you can just stay itchy.” The medicine cat apprentice shot back, and Icepaw simply growls. Once she’s finished, he settles down, head over his paws. The shelter and dark of the medicine den is soothing, at least, even if all he can smell is the herbs covering his body. As he closes his eyes, however, the heather at the entrance of the den rustles, and the sickly bitter smell that accompanies it informs him that Festermouth has come to be a pest. 

 

“How’s my favorite mange-ridden brat?” He jeers, and Icepaw opens an eye to glare. “Aw, don't give me that look. I did say you were my  _ favorite _ .” He gives a chuckle, moving past him to check the herb stores. Icepaw staggers to his feet- despite the look Sunpaw gives him, and heads for the entrance. 

 

“Try not to choke on your own stink, Festermouth.” He calls over his shoulder, only to receive a hoot of laughter in response. How annoying. 

Stepping out into camp, his back leg comes up to scratch at his stomach, and he pauses to think. There was business to handle, yes sir. Lots of business. It was just a matter of what to attend to first. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of black fur slipping down the gorgeside. Oh, excellent. Blackmist is  _ exactly _ the cat he needs at the moment. Trusty Blackmist. Good, loyal, Blackmist. Never-questioning-his-authority Blackmist. Doesn’t-call-him-a-mangy-brat Blackmist. 

He approaches the deputy with his perpetual stagger, ears flicking upward. When Blackmist sees him, he gives the final hop down- having just visited Darkstar in his den, if Icepaw had to guess. Good, trusty Blackmist. He could always trust him to look after his mentor. 

 

“Hello, Icepaw.”

 

“No pleasantries. Get this leaf nonsense off of me.” He stretches out before sitting down, spine protruding under the skin. He was in no mood for conversation- and Blackmist understood this. The deputy pads behind Icepaw, the scraping sensation of his tongue as it makes its way over the back of his head soothing his itch. He takes this time to contemplate, the two of them silent other than the occasional sound of Blackmist spitting out scraps of leaves and poultices. The gathering was soon...much sooner than he hoped. While he  _ was _ excited to show off his new abilities to those no-good bastard clans, he just wasn't sure if he was ready for it. To sit in the Great Tree, a paw’s length away from Lionstar’s throat...a shudder runs through his body, and Blackmist pauses. 

 

“Don’t stop. Keep grooming.” He hisses, tail lashing irritably. The deputy continued without question. Loyal, loyal Blackmist. Tonight was going to be a big night for him. Darkstar was finally going to let him choose his  _ Nou-meau _ . For the gathering of course- In which Icepaw would appear in his stead. Ever since  _ that stupid, stupid Lionstar, and that stupid Mightclan, and that stupid Goldenstar _ \- His claws dig into the soil, and Blackmist peels away from the apprentice.

“That should do it.” Already, Icepaw is feeling the itch. He scratches his stomach with his back paw. “Are you ready to go?” Blackmist is already heading towards the entrance, and Icepaw’s skin prickles with envy. What he wouldn’t give to have such a lovely long coat, such a long, lovely tail- It just wasn’t  _ fair _ . Ears flicking backwards, he follows Blackmist, pushing through the thin brush that hides their little eden in the gorge. As paradisiacal as it gets in this shithole, for sure. Somehow, Darkstar is already waiting for them.

So then what was Blackmist doing in his den? Odd. But not terribly so. Not enough to distract him from the awe that filled him every time he saw the leader.

The tom stood tall, his broad shoulders proud. The sun silhouetted his powerful form, his long tail, the menacing, ominous socket of a right eye. The flesh was exposed on that entire side of the face, ear completely lost, the eye that he had, blind with age- and yet, he survived, some sort of ancient monument of death.

_ He was magnificent _ .

It was rare to see him out of his den, but the leader stalks through the moor with pride, leading the two cats to the entrance of the  _ muwat _ tunnel. The stifling darkness and dry, but earthy smell surrounds them as they navigate through, led only by their whiskers and the tail of the cat in front of them. Darkstar, of course, knows these tunnels like his own paw- and sometimes Icepaw has to scurry to keep up. He had been through here only twice- once, as a kit, and once, after becoming Darkstar’s apprentice. The stones and dirt beneath his feet scrape against the pads of his paws, but he barely notices it. The tunnels-  _ muwat _ or  _ muwan _ , always seemed to have this dissonance to them, a buzz that moved through the brain, dulling the senses with a darkness so thick it felt like you were drowning in a mud pool, like the ones that gathered in the soft bogland near the ravine. The memory causes him to snort, ears flicking back. The mountains had the streams, the forests, ponds, and yet- the only water ON IronClan territory was the brackish bogwater.

And the other Clans  _ dared _ call them greedy? This war was SURVIVAL. As if he could read Icepaw’s thoughts, Darkstar’s deep, whispery voice penetrated the darkness. 

“Do not give them your thoughts, Icepaw. The time will come to make them pay.” There’s a softness in his voice that is reserved only for Icepaw, and he gives his mentor a small purr of acknowledgement. He was so wise, so powerful...truly, he couldn’t ask for a better teacher.

The end of the tunnel comes with a breath of fresh air- literally. Scrabbling his way aboveground, he carefully sniffs the air for any danger. They were outside of IronClan territory- past the moors, near an abandoned twoleg nest. This is where, of course, the  _ nou-meaus _ were kept. Too dangerous to be kept with normal cats, for sure. But he and Darkstar weren’t normal cats. Darkstar flicks his tail- and Blackmist is the one to leap up on the crates, using the skills he learned as a rogue to “unlock the door”. Icepaw had no idea what that meant, but it got them in and out, so he wouldn’t object. The entry to the nest swings open, and Darkstar pushes inside, Icepaw close after, followed by Blackmist. The dust stirs under their paws, floating through the occasional patches of sunlight. The air reeks of decay and gore, and Blackmist has to kick a lump of flesh from his path.

And there, gnawing on the bones of their last feedings, are the  _ nou-meaus _ . Massive, hulking, bloodthirsty beasts who destroy at the whim of their masters. They’re beautiful. Divine, even. Moreso than those twinkling lights in the night sky. These are tangible beings, primed to carry out the wills of their gods. Dark, beady eyes bore into him from their pack, pausing in their gluttony.

“ _ You remember Icepaw, don’t you _ ?” Darkstar poses the question in their tongues, in their words, their rough, growling language. “ _ He’s going to pick one of you to come with him to the Gathering. It’ll be  _ **_very_ ** _ special _ .” That catches their attention, floppy ears perking and huge tails wagging.

_ Nou-meaus _ were strange. He can feel their gazes on him, and he steps forward, trying to muster up all the authority he could. Eye contact is crucial, with these stupid beasts. Arch the spine. Stare them down. Looking over the group, his gaze settles on the biggest. A massive, black  _ Nou-meau _ , so large he dwarfed the others.

“ _ That one _ .” He points with his tail, voice lowering to match their language’s natural intonation. The  _ Nou-meau _ rises, and Darkstar nods approvingly.

“ _ We will return on the night of the full moon. Be ready _ .”   


* * *

  


Here's an adult Iida design for all your troubles! thank you for your patience!


	8. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to popular request, I've made a list of the names of the cats with their bnha counterpart names! Hope this clears up any confusion!  
> http://kitsune-monoma.tumblr.com/post/178708743718/bnha-warriors-au-name-masterlist

Bravepaw bounced on his toes in anticipation- the Gathering was finally upon them. This would be his chance to not only make a good impression on the other Clans, but discuss and learn from them in a peaceful manner. Although Flamestripe had given them all an earful about not discussing clan secrets, Bravepaw, for the life of him, couldn’t possibly fathom what could be a “clan secret”- Camp location, sure, but who’s going to be able to describe the exact route to and layout of their camp? It seemed silly, really. Besides, the alliance between three of the Clans had been stronger since the last Great Battle- all he needed to be concerned about was IronClan. 

Thistlepaw shoulders past him roughly- but Bravepaw doesn’t stumble. Ever since their first training session, the cream furred tom had backed off a little with his taunting. (Which Bravepaw was grateful for- between StarClan beating the everloving shit out of his limbs when he battled, and learning the normal apprentice curriculum, he didn’t have the time nor energy to be called “stumpy” during every waking hour.) Making his way over to Frogpaw and Skypaw, he forces his pelt to smooth down.

“So, Frogpaw, what’re Gatherings like?” Skypaw’s bubbly voice reaches his ears first, followed by a little croak from the other molly. 

“Big. Noisy, too. Kero. The other Clans smell really weird.” She blinks, tail swishing lightly. “You’ll know who’s who just by the smell. WillClan smells like pine sap. HeartClan smells like cold. Kero. IronClan smells like...bog and wind.” Her head tilts, and Skypaw paws at the ground with delight.

“I’m so excited to finally meet the other apprentices! Are they nice? Do you know?” All she gets in response is a small laugh, but before the questions can continue, Nightpelt is bounding to the front of the group.

“All right, apprentices! Listen up!” Her thick tail sticks high in the air- and it’s not like the she-cat was easy to ignore anyway. “Stick close to your clanmates as you make your way to the gathering. Usually, you all wouldn’t be going, but Lionstar thinks it’s important to show other Clans we’re doing well, so don’t let him down!” With a cheerful flick of the tail, she glides her way back over to where Shadowstep and Sparrowtongue are waiting. Bravepaw takes a tally of the cats staying behind- Cleartongue, Blossomnose, Mousetail, Stonefur, Swiftstream, Smoothfang, Breezefall, Brighttongue, Sunshadow, the perma-queens, and of course, the elders. The clan’ll be well defended, just in case a  _ certain Clan _ decides to break the truce. Deep within the brambles of the elder’s den, he spots a pair of listless eyes staring at him intensely. For a moment, he’s unnerved- but forces the feeling down upon realizing it’s just Frostfall. Right. Frostfall. Firepaw’s mom. 

Lionstar takes the lead of the Clan, the warriors and apprentices marching on through the dense undergrowth towards the Clearing- a spot of land in the middle of all four territories where the moon shines down on their Gatherings to observe the proceedings. Willstar, according to legend, has no mercy for truce-breakers. Falling back in line a little, he waits for Swifftpaw to catch up with him, ears flicking towards his friend.

“Excited?” He purrs, watching the way Swiftpaw’s eyes light up.

“Indeed! This is surely a great opportunity to make important alliances with other Clans!” He can barely keep his volume contained, but it’s charming, in its own Swiftpaw way.

“I’m excited to meet WillClan cats, to be honest. I hear Redstar and Lionstar go way back. And they’ve been in good relations with us ever since he came to power.” Bravepaw gushed, recalling the clan history he had learned from Silverflower during all his times in the medicine den. It was easier to hear things from her than any of the elders- Streamrunner and Snakewhisker were, while valuable members of the clan, just  _ difficult _ , Breezefoot’s memory was going, and Frostfall...well, she was awfully young for the elder’s den. And there was just something hard about looking her in the eye. She just...radiated sorrow. He couldn’t really remember the incident that had landed her there- it was just a vague blur of yowling and writhing, the sound of a kit wailing…

Swiftpaw takes note of his companion’s fall into mumbling, giving him a concerned bump on the shoulder. 

“Bravepaw? Is everything alright?” Bravepaw looks up, yanke from his stream of thoughts.

 

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Just thinking…” He glances over his shoulder, catching sight of the scar marring Firepaw’s face. Swiftpaw’s frown deepens slightly, but doesn’t comment on it, instead offering support.

“If there’s anything you wish to speak about, I’m here for you! We’re training together, remember? Clanmates have important bonds!” He bumps Bravepaw again, but stays close, pressed side-by-side. The warmth from his pelt seeps into Bravepaw, who smiles.

“Thanks, Swiftpaw. I appreciate it.”

⭐

 

Snowdapple glances over her shoulder as a familiar white-and-red flashes in the corner of her vision. It’s Spottedblizzard, approaching his littermate with a grin and a friendly bump, his tail resting on her back.

“Been a while since both of us have gone, huh? I’m pretty excited.” She smiles in return, high-stepping her way through the brush.

“Yeah. Although, I have a feeling you’re excited for a different reason.” She teases back, causing him to dip his head.

“Shut uppppp.” He groans, rolling his eyes, and her mew turns serious.

“Seriously though, Bliz. Just because they’ve lightened up about interclan friendship doesn’t mean they’ve loosened up on interclan relationships. Don’t go fooling around and making messes.” Her words of caution make his pelt bristle and ears flatten embarrassedly. 

“It’s not like that, Snow! We’re not picking moss just yet. Calm down.” 

“Does Firepaw know?” She tilts her head.

“I mean, I haven’t told him- Flamestripe made it pretty clear we weren’t supposed to “throw off his training”.” He snorts, and the two fall into silence for a few tail-lengths.

“I’m worried. About his training. And mom.” Snowdapple begins, staring at her paws. “Silverflower’s been checking in on her a lot more...Do you think something’s happened?” At her implication, he bristles.

“Do you? I swear, if that foxheart has done  _ anything _ \- I’ll- I’ll tear his pelt off!”

“Keep your voice down!” She scolds, glancing back at Nightpelt, the cat closest to the pair. She’s pretty engrossed in a conversation with Shadowstep, though, so it seems like the two are safe. “I think she just may be ill- I can check in with Silverflower later.” She shakes her head.

“Let’s hope so.” He murmurs, glaring at the back of the deputy’s head.

⭐

The clearing comes into view, and the sight nearly knocks Bravepaw off his feet. A massive, circular meadow, with a tall, gnarled, dead tree pressed against one side. That must be the Star Antler, where the leaders and deputies sat to give the Clan news. Willstar’s gaze fills the area with a silvery light, and Bravepaw takes the opportunity to get a tally of the Clans. 

Wolfstar is already perched upon one of the Star Antler’s branches, Silverstrike watching silently from the gnarled roots of the old tree. Redstar is entering the clearing as well, a stream of silent-pawed cats following close behind. However, he can’t see any sign of IronClan, nor can he smell the boggy smell Frogpaw described earlier. 

“Incredible! Look at all these cats!” Swiftpaw exclaims, gaze sweeping over the cats settling into the clearing.

“It’s so many…” He concurs, watching Rockpaw bound past and bowl right into a silvery grey WillClan apprentice.

“Silverpaw!”

“Rockpaw!” The two greet each other like old friends, bumping heads and shoulders...and almost everything else. The interaction is barely above a friendly tussle really. From behind Silverpaw, he can see a familiar yellow pelt- the apprentice Maplepaw cuffed over the head, and Maplepaw herself are both there. The cream-furred apprentice grins and says something Bravepaw can’t hear, earning him an exasperated look from Maplepaw. Huh. Might as well go be friendly, right?

“Maplepaw!” He calls, trotting past the two wrestling toms. 

“Oh, hey, Bravepaw!” She greets him back, ears perking. “This is your first Gathering, right?” Bravepaw nods, and Swiftpaw bounds forward to introduce himself.

“I am Swiftpaw! I remember seeing you at the last Gathering, but I’m afraid I did not get to greet you. It is a pleasure to meet you!” She lets out a purr of amusement at his enthusiasm, and her companion lets out a shrill laugh.

“How  _ MightClan _ \- did you not  _ deign _ us important enough to talk to?! Typical-” He’s cut off by Maplepaw’s paw shoving his head down.

“Sorry about him. This is Weaselpaw. He’s a real foxbrain sometimes. Totally cone-conked.” The lean tom squirms out of her hold, letting out a tiny huff and licking down his chest fur.

“Cone-conked?” He had never heard that phrase before. Then again, Pinecones didn’t really grow in Mightclan territory.

“Ah, right. WillClan slang. It means like...mousebrained, sort of? Crazy.”

“I see! MightClan has a similar expression! We usually refer to someone as “Berry Blitzed”- although I myself am not fond of it.” Swiftpaw explains, while Bravepaw mentally takes note. He was already learning so much! 

“Have you seen any sign of IronClan?” Maplepaw asks. “You guys share the border with them, right? Along with HeartClan?” Bravepaw gives a swift shake of his head.

“No- not a single hair of their pelts. Do you think they might not be coming?” It was always a possibility, with how tense things were. Although, the other Clans might take offense, which could definitely stir trouble. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see more cats approaching them- a lanky black she-cat with some of the  _ biggest _ ears and ear tufts Bravepaw’s ever seen, a chubby black she-cat with a white chest, a bouncing golden tabby tom whose entire pelt stood on end, and a greyish-pink she-cat who, one, looked like she could snap him in half, and two, whose tail curled like that of a squirrel’s.

“Hey, Maplepaw. These the MightClan apprentices?” The big-eared she-cat spoke first, watching Bravepaw and Swiftpaw with a casual grin. “Cool. I’m Echopaw. HeartClan. This is Shadepaw,” She tilts her head to the chubby apprentice. “And these two mouse-brains are Rosepaw and Sparkpaw. Our buddy Ravenpaw’s around here somewhere, but good fuckin’ luck finding him.” She tilts her head slightly. “There’s more than just the two of you, right?”

“That is correct!” Swiftpaw speaks first, tail sticking up. “This is Bravepaw, and I myself am Swiftpaw! Our fellow apprentices have seemed to scatter! There is Rockpaw,” He gestures to the red-furred tom, who grins back, laying atop Silverpaw. “Skypaw and Frogpaw are over there, Quietpaw is with Silverflower, our medicine cat, Firepaw is sitting with his kin- and Thistlepaw approaches! Hello, Thistlepaw! Have you come to join us?” He inquires to the tom, who’s stalking over.

“I’m not here for you  _ or _ Stumpy, long-legs.” He spits, sitting next to Rockpaw, who immediately starts chattering with him, letting Silverpaw bounce back to his fellow apprentices. Shadepaw chimes in, her voice one of the sweetest sounds Bravepaw’s ever heard.

“You have...a lot of apprentices. Doesn’t it get crowded?”

“Oh yeah. The den is a mess.” Bravepaw laughs, scratching at his ear, somewhat nervous under the glare of Weaselpaw, who’s been joined by Violetpaw. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see the two exchanging murmurs- unnoticed by Maplepaw, who’s currently engaged in conversation with Echopaw. 

“IT SEEMS AS IF IRONCLAN WILL NOT BE ATTENDING TONIGHT’S GATHERING. WE WILL PROCEED WITHOUT THEM.” Lionstar’s voice booms across the clearing, silencing the crowd of cats.

“WOLFSTAR, IF YOU WILL.” He steps back, allowing the long-legged leader to speak.

“HeartClan is doing well. However, we have scented badger near the WillClan border- so I suggest you be extra vigilant on that part of the territory.” He nods to Redstar. “We also have a new apprentice- Ravenpaw, apprenticed to Hawkwing.” At the fringes of the crowd, a black tom with a large tail, white throat, and slightly crooked muzzle stands. 

“Ravenpaw! Ravenpaw! Ravenpaw!” The Clans all chant, and after a moment of fumbling, Bravepaw joins as well. A flick of Wolfstar’s tail brings them to silence, and he sits.

“That is all from HeartClan.” After a pause, Redstar steps forward.

“Prey flows well in WillClan. We will send extra patrols to hunt for the badger- thank you, Wolfstar. We have also had a recent birth in the Clan- Rockjaw’s son, Stonekit, grows with every passing day.” The curly-furred tom beams with pride from his spot in the crowd, and murmurs of congratulations go around. “That is all from WillClan. Lionstar, the time is yours.” He sits as well, and Lionstar clears his throat.

“MIGHTCLAN HAS FOUR NEW APPRENTICES TO ANNOUNCE! THISTLEPAW, APPRENTICED TO SHADOWSTEP, SWIFTPAW, APPRENTICED TO CLEARTONGUE, SKYPAW, APPRENTICED TO BREEZEFALL, AND BRAVEPAW, APPRENTICED TO MYSELF!” The four apprentices stand, and Bravepaw can’t help his tail fluffing out with pride as the other Clans cheer his name. “IN OTHER NEWS-” The words are cut off by Ravenpaw leaping further into the crowd, along with any other cats near that portion of the wood. A horrible stench- one of blood, decay- the stench of  _ carrionfood _ \- permeates the air, and cats slowly begin to stream into the clearing. Behind the smell of rot, Bravepaw’s nostrils are assaulted by the smell of bog.

_ IronClan. _

At the lead, a gorgeous black tom slips up towards the Star Antler, seating himself at the roots with the other deputies. He’s followed by who can only be assumed to be the medicine cat and his apprentice, the two reeking of herbs. Dispersing into the crowd, Bravepaw catches sight of a stumbling, drooling, absolutely  _ berry-blitzed _ cat, a massive golden tom with one eye, a russet-furred she-cat accompanied by a droopy little tom, and a tom with a scar that trails down his forehead, hinting at some sort of horrible wound. But the worst, the worst is what follows- A  _ dog _ . And not just  _ any  _ dog. The beast is a massive, black, drooling animal, whose footsteps make the ground tremble. Cats part from its path in a frantic scramble, but perched atop it’s back, is a scrawny hairless tom, skin covered in scabbing and scars- but can’t be older than an apprentice. 

“Blackmist! What is the meaning of this?!” Flamestripe turns to the IronClan deputy, clawing at the ground as his pelt bristled. The hairless tom is the one that responds.

“Oh, don’t worry. He won’t hurt anyone. It’s a truce, right?” The voice sounds like claws scraping against stone, and it sends a shiver down Bravepaw’s spine. “I am Icepaw- I speak for Darkstar.” Cats in the crowd murmur- an apprentice speaking for a leader? Unheard of. But, then again, so were dogs at Gatherings.

“IronClan is thriving. Our numbers are growing.” It sounds more like a warning, an omen, than anything like Clan news. “That is all.”

“THIS GATHERING IS CALLED TO A CLOSE!” Lionstar’s bristling- which frightens Bravepaw even more than the dog. Clouds start to shift, swirling around the moon, threatening to close Willstar’s gaze. “MIGHTCLAN, WE ARE LEAVING!” There’s an urgency in his voice, one that pushes the frozen cats to act.

“WillClan is leaving as well!”

“HeartClan, we head home!” The leaders disperse, and so do the cats, skittering nervously around the dog, who simply watches them all with a drooling maw. 

He catches Icepaw’s eyes, and Bravepaw somehow gets the sickening feeling that the other is looking right at him. Like a piece of prey. 

The trek back to camp is long and nerve-wracking. Each sound of footsteps in the dark forest causes bristling pelts- he even catches Flamestripe jump a little as Firepaw steps on a twig. Occasionally, a whisper breaks the silence, but otherwise, each cat is submerged deep into their own thoughts. Cleartongue waits for them at the entrance. 

“How’d it go?” Lionstar just gives him a solemn stare.

“Get Streamrunner and the senior warriors. There’s been an incident.” The cats disperse to their dens almost immediately, other than those called to Lionstar’s den. They disappear behind the curtain of ivy, and Bravepaw finally takes in what just happened. 

IronClan. Icepaw. The dog. It knocks him breathless, mind racing as he starts to stumble his way back to the apprentice den. However, the moment he passes the nursery, a bundle of black fur comes hurtling towards him.

“Bravepaw!” It’s Softshadow, her face pulled tight with worry. She noses into his fur, and in a sudden realization, he notices that he’s grown taller than her.

“I’m okay, mom. Really. No one was hurt.” He reassures her, forcing his fur to stay smooth as she grooms him nervously. 

“Bravepaw…” Her voice trails off, licking his shoulder a few more times  “Are you sure you want to be a warrior? With IronClan making threats… I don’t want you having to fear for your life at all times.” Her ears doop, and his do as well.

“Of course I’m sure! Being a warrior is going to be dangerous no matter what, but…” He pauses. “We do what we can to protect the Clan. And that’s what I want.” Besides- he had a duty to StarClan, now. He couldn’t let them and Lionstar down. They stand there in silence for a moment, but he starts a little when tears start welling up in her eyes.

“Mom! Are you okay? I didn’t-” She cuts him off by wrapping her forelegs around his shoulders.

“I’m just so proud of you!” She cries. “You’re so strong, Bravepaw. Never forget that.” His pelt warms with her words, and he feels tears coming to his eyes as well.

“Thanks, mom. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you.” Her support had really helped him keep going- and he was grateful he got so lucky with such a great mom. Especially when, considering the events surrounding the moon he was born, there was a high possibility that something could’ve gone wrong. Like with Swiftpaw. Or Firepaw. 

A rustle from behind him causes them both to jump- but upon closer inspection, it’s just the entrance of the elder’s den. It’s Firepaw- most likely done visiting Frostfall. He eyes the two and their embrace- and then sharply turns and stalks into the apprentice’s den. Softshadow gives Bravepaw a little nudge- and gratefully, he pulls away to dash after his friend.

“Firepaw! Wait up!” He calls, hopping his way into the den. Firepaw’s already settled into his nest, and he gives Bravepaw a look, head tilted to the side.

“Yes?” 

“I just wanted to ask, you know, about how you’re feeling about all this. With IronClan, and the like.” He can see Firepaw pause, as if trying to gather his thoughts.

“Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter what I think, does it? We’re fighting this war, whether we want to or not. The choice is out of our paws.” Bravepaw can’t read any emotion in his tone- it’s just cold, objective- presented as if it were fact.

“I mean- Well- That’s not-” He’s somewhat at a loss for words. “That doesn’t mean your opinion doesn’t matter! Sure, we’re not in charge of the clan-” He pauses, lowering his voice after getting a sleepy glare from a half-awake Swiftpaw. “-But that doesn’t mean our voices don’t count! As we grow, and move up, people will listen to us!” He musters up a smile, nodding enthusiastically. Firepaw just observes him for a moment, and then turns away, tucking his nose into his side.

“I just hope they don’t attack camp.” And with that, he closes his eyes, signalling the end of the conversation. With a sigh, Bravepaw carefully picks his way back to the nest, staring at the sky through the holes in the brambles.

_ Oh Starclan _ , he gives a silent prayer. _ Let things turn out okay! _


	9. CHAPTER 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning! this chapter does have implied abuse. Take caution when reading. Also, thanks to everyone that's been super patient while waiting for the chapter! School & health have been rough on me.

In the next few days following the gathering, patrols- especially around the IronClan border, are amped up- Flamestripe more often than not barking out orders to warriors and apprentices. The deputy’s temper is shorter, too, often snarling at the apprentices for slip-ups, and even cuffing Nightpelt around the ear for stopping by the nursery to talk to Softshadow. Of course, the well-built she-cat easily sized up to him; and it took Lionstar’s scolding to keep the two from having a full on confrontation. Bravepaw often caught Firepaw longingly looking to the elder’s den- but it seemed like Flamestripe adamantly refused to put him on Elder’s Duty, instead working the split tom to the bone in hunting and fighting. Quietpaw and Silverflower were constantly stocking up and searching for herbs, the bulky apprentice scurrying to and from camp under the orders of his mentor. 

And for Bravepaw himself, well- the days had been hell. He had volunteered to cover Firepaw’s Elder Duty shift when it looked like Shadowstep was going to confront Flamestripe about it, but between that, his normal training, and Lionstar’s panicked insistance at upping their special training for his StarClan-given gifts, he was worn the fuck out. He was on that extra Elder’s Duty now, carrying clean moss towards the elder’s den, nearly running into Silverflower, who was on her way out. 

“Oh, hello, Bravepaw! How are you?” The kindly she-cat asks, looking up at him with a smile.

“I’m doing well, Silverflower. And you?” He owed so much to that little she-cat, honestly. Every time his training bruised up his body and wore him out, she was there, ready to help. Although, she could do to yell at Lionstar a little less. It wasn’t his fault that Bravepaw’s body still needed to adjust. 

“I’m feeling pretty well! Ah, leaf-fall is going to settle into my bones soon, I just know it.” Despite her complaint, she laughs, and Bravepaw can’t help but laugh along. 

“I’ll see if I can snatch some more feathers for your nest, then.” Although, he’d probably need Skypaw for that- she was amazing at climbing up trees and getting into the hollows where bird’s nests lay abandoned, full of feathers and bits of wool and fur. “How’s Quietpaw? I haven’t really been able to speak to him lately, with how busy Lionstar and Shadowstep keep me.” 

“Oh, he’s been well. It’s been nice to have an apprentice helping out- but I’m worried I work the poor boy to death. I can’t go out and hunt for herbs like I used to, and I don’t want to put him on duty watching Frostfall just yet. Dear’s always running in and out of camp for herbs.” She sighs, but smiles fondly. 

“How is Frostfall, by the way?” Bravepaw couldn’t help but be a little curious- the frail she-cat had an air of mystery about her, and it clung to her pelt like burrs.

“You’re headed in there, aren’t you? Go see for yourself.” Her voice holds no agitation, just humor. “Although, do be quiet. She’s not fond of loud noises, as I’m sure you know by now.” And then she continues on her way, allowing Bravepaw to slip into the Elder’s den.

“I brought fresh moss.” He starts, and Streamrunner snorts as he turns to face him.

“Not even a hello? Right to business, aren’t you.”

“With all due respect, sir-” Bravepaw’s cut off by a chuckle from Snakewhisker.

“Which is  _ none _ .” The brown tom continues to chuckle, until Streamrunner gives him a little kick.

“Uh- with all due respect- you got upset the last time I did greet you before getting to the point.” A grunt comes from the cranky elder, and he shifts slightly to give Bravepaw room to start padding out the nest.

“So I did. Oh well.” Bravepaw makes his rounds, rolling all the old bedding into a ball near the entrance of the den, from Streamrunner’s nest, Snakewhisker’s nest, Breezefoot’s nest (who has to be roused from his nap), until he gets to Frostfall’s. 

“Be careful with her. She’s ‘avin one of her fragile days.” Streamrunner calls.

“I can speak for myself.” Her voice comes quietly, delicately, as if she could shatter at any moment. Yet there’s something undeniably forceful in her delivery, and Bravepaw watches the nearly-blind she-cat rise to her feet, milky amber eyes affixing themselves onto him. She’s tall, and the long white fur that clings to her bones and hangs down like ivy almost glimmers, hinting at what once was a luscious, thick coat. She also reeks of herbs, strong enough to make Bravepaw’s noise crinkle, and he can see the fresh poultices applied to an ancient wound that tears across her face, and another across her shoulder, hiding the smell of infection. She leans down to sniff both him and the moss, and she limps out of the nest to give Bravepaw room.

“It’s been so long since I’ve seen you, Bravepaw.” Her voice is almost wistful, and he starts collecting her bedding. 

“Well, I’m in here pretty regularly-”

“Now, that’s not what I meant. It’s been long since I’ve  _ seen _ you.” 

“Oh.” He’s not sure what to say, just continuing to pat the old moss into a ball.

“You smell like stars, now.” Her head swings back to look at him, and he can feel his pelt prickling. 

“Don’t scare the boy, Frostfall.” Streamrunner grunts, but his voice is gentler than his usual gruff tone. 

“I wasn’t trying to.” She’s staring out the entrance now, ears perked slightly, listening in to the sound of the Clan going about its daily life. Eventually, Bravepaw has her nest filled out with clean moss, and he gathers all the dirty moss back up near the entrance.

“You can, uh, go back to your nest now, ma’am.” Her ear flicks towards him, and she slowly heaves herself to her feet, the leg with the scarred shoulder dragging on the ground as she limps her way back to her nest.

“You make me feel so old.” A sigh that almost resembles a laugh escapes her, and she tucks her limbs into the bedding. “Tell Softshadow to visit. I miss talking to her.” The corners of her eyes crinkle upwards in a smile, and Bravepaw feels relieved, for some reason. Breezefoot stands, moving next to Frostfall.

“Here, Frostfall- let me groom you. You’ve got moss shreds still in your pelt.”

“Oh, thank you, Breezefoot.” Bravepaw’s glad to see his clanmates still taking such good care of each other- but he can see why Firepaw’s hoping that any fight with IronClan doesn’t reach the camp. Cats like Frostfall...well- she’d be defenseless, wouldn’t she? 

“Alright, that’s enough gawking.” Streamrunner makes a shooing motion towards Bravepaw. “You’ll be in this den soon enough. No need to dawdle. Go enjoy being young while you can. Before Shadowstep claws your ears off.” A huff, and Bravepaw starts out of his thoughts.

“Yes sir!” He skitters out of the den, taking the dirty bedding with him. Once he gets rid of this through the dirt tunnel, he’ll have to relay Frostfall’s message to Softshadow. He’s sure his mom wouldn’t mind visiting her old friend, now that she doesn’t have any kits to nurse. Maybe Thornear would stop by, too-- although he’s not sure it would be a good idea to let the loud, abrasive, aggressive she-cat around Frostfall...But- what’s the worse that would happen? Thornear is an adult, she can handle herself. Probably. Sometimes, the resemblance between her and Thistlepaw was too much for him. He sighs, rolling the ball towards the dirt tunnel, when he catches sight of Shadowstep talking to Flamestripe...again. And neither look too happy. The apprentice manager- (that’s the position Shadowstep held- it was his job to make sure the apprentices were all receiving proper training under their mentors. Which is likely why he’s so agitated with Flamestripe.) is almost bristling, tail lashing side to side. The bulky deputy isn’t pleased, either, staring down Shadowstep with those terrifying blue eyes. Bravepaw can’t hear what’s being said, but nonetheless, he has to get by them to get to the dirt tunnel...so….

“Um… excuse me? I need to throw this away.” He chimes in, pointing to the ball of old moss. Both the toms turn on him, but Flamestripe hasn’t dropped his display of aggression. 

“Go ahead, Bravepaw.” Shadowstep has dropped back into his usual apathetic tone, stepping to the side enough to let the three-legged apprentice through. He scurries past, taking the moss with him, Flamestripe’s eyes burning into his pelt as he hops along, one paw rolling the moss. He dawdles a little as he spreads the moss back out in the dirt tunnel, ears flicking back to listen in on the conversation the two adults were having. 

“You can’t keep pushing Firepaw like this. Not only is he just a  _ child _ \- but his skills are becoming unbalanced. All apprentices have to do bedding work, all apprentices have to learn how to keep the camp tidy. How else will they learn to appreciate the hard work of their elders? It teaches them respect- something Firepaw clearly doesn’t hold for you- or any other warrior in this camp.” Agitation is seeping into Shadowstep’s voice, dripping from the words he hisses out. 

“It’s not your place to tell me how to train MY son, Shadowstep. I know what’s best for him. In order to become a strong warrior, he needs as much training in hunting and fighting as he can get. He has his mother’s build, after all. It’s better he bulks up now, rather than later.”

“Might I remind you, it IS my place to tell you how to mentor your son. Not only that, but Frostfall was an excellent warrior, all the way until she had to retire. What makes a good clan cat is a sense of unity and the ability to work with others. It’s just not rational to continue throwing him into solo training sessions and expect him to be able to function on patrols, in battle, or in any other situation where his clanmates rely on him, and he relies on them.” So they were fighting over Firepaw again, huh? His denmate just couldn’t catch a break. But Shadowstep did have a point- Firepaw hadn’t been training with hardly any of the other apprentices. When the time came to fight, how could they expect him to understand working with the team? Crawling back out through the tunnel, he feels the two settle into an uncomfortable silence, waiting for him to get by. And hurry by he does, trying to get the feeling of Flamestripe’s glare as far off of him as possible. Starclan, he was really getting knee-deep in this family drama, wasn’t he? It wasn’t even any of his business...but...Firepaw is his friend! There’s nothing wrong with wanting to know more about what’s going on in his life, right?

StarClan give him strength.

“Bravepaw!” Lionstar’s voice rings through the clearing, and the black-furred apprentice perks up immensely. The massive tom is bounding his way, golden fur glimmering in the sun. “I was wondering if you would like to go on a hunting trip? I’d like to do another review of your hunting crouch!” Bravepaw’s already bouncing on his toes, ready to go-- but he needs to pass Frostfall’s message on.

“One second, Lionstar! Frostfall asked me to ask Softshadow something.” The leader nods, and out of the corner of his eye, Bravepaw sees Flamestripe’s ears flick his way at the mention of his wife. Slipping into the nursery, Bravepaw greets Softshadow with a gentle nuzzle.

“Back again, Bravepaw?” He hears Thornear grunt.

“Just passing on a message, Thornear. Frostfall wanted to know if you could visit her anytime soon- both of you.” Well, Frostfall had technically only asked for his mom, but it felt rude not to extend the invitation to her other friend. Honeyglow and Cloverpool are napping-- the message could be passed onto them later.

“I would love to pay her a visit.” Softshadow stands, stretching a little. “The den just hasn’t been the same without her. Thornear, will you be coming?”

“Mm. Yeah, gimme a moment.” The coarse she-cat also stretches, and Bravepaw starts to head out of the den.

“Thanks for the message, Bravepaw! Good luck with your training!” His mother calls, causing the tips of his ears to heat up.

“I’ll do my best!” Lionstar’s waiting by the entrance of the den, and as he trots over, he catches sight of Frostfall peering out of the elder’s den again, waiting for her friends. Mission accomplished. It always felt nice to be of assistance to someone, even in just small ways.

“Ready?” His mentor asked, prompting a nod.

“Always!” He’s missed the feelings of leaves beneath his paws, anyway. Too much time cooped up in camp was never fun, and double Elder’s duty meant he was in camp a LOT. The crisp smell of leaf-fall is on the horizon, and he has to resist the urge to pounce on a leaf as it floats past. But that’s something a kit would do- not the apprentice of the leader of the Clan. The further they get from camp, the more distant the sound of cats becomes, and the more he can hear of the forest itself. The scurrying of small creatures as they try to gather food for the winter, the crinkling of leaves beneath their paws, the rustling of branches from gentle breezes far above their head. Mightstar’s gaze is still warm, even with the approaching season change, warming his thick pelt comfortably. After a while, Lionstar pauses, the two of them in a thicket deep into the territory. Bravepaw’s seen this place before- they’re close to the secondary training hollow, and a slightly further distance away from the Sunningrock. It’s a good place to find prey- if you can avoid getting tangled in the underbrush. 

“What can you smell, Bravepaw?” Bravepaw opens his mouth to get a taste of the air, the smell of deep woods and greenery filling his senses. But after a moment, he starts to get undertones of other scents. Acorns, stale cat scent- likely from the patrol this morning or the day before. And finally--

“Mouse!” He whispers excitedly. Shifting his weight, he silently drops into a hunting crouch, Lionstar giving a tail flick of approval. His focus is split in two; on the scent he’s tracking, as well as keeping his balance. Silently, he slithers through the brush, careful not to let his curly fur get caught on any branches. The mouse comes into view, and he creeps ever closer, before finally launching himself off with his back paw. But his hunting skills are rusty, and the angle is just off enough to give the mouse a chance to escape. The creature skitters- but Lionstar’s massive paw comes down, trapping and killing it in one, quick, blow. Bravepaw sits, ears drooping. He didn’t want his mentor to have to come in and catch all the prey for him, after all. What would Lionstar- what would the cats in StarClan think about that?

“I missed.”

“Your skills are rusty. You’ve been handling Firepaw’s duties along with your own-- and I’ll admit, I’ve been pushing your fighting training a little harder than I should’ve been.” Lionstar purrs, sitting next to his apprentice. “Consider this a joint effort. Now let’s try again.” These words cheer him up a little- making a silent promise to try even harder. A well-fed Clan is a strong Clan, after all. Hunting for cats like Frostfall, Softshadow, and Streamrunner was one of the most important things he could do.

“Right!” Getting back to his feet, he tries to scent for another piece of prey. Above him, a blackbird cries. 

“Do you think you’re up for tree-bound prey?” Lionstar nudges him, glancing up at the bird. Bravepaw takes a moment to consider it, calculating the best way to go about it.

“I don’t want to startle it, before I can get up there. I should take another tree…” He mutters, trotting over to the trunk of a nearby tree. He examines the branches; low-hanging, but sturdy enough to jump off of. Perfect. He coils, bunching up, and then, with a quick leap, he pushes himself against the trunk, jumping off of it up to the lowest branch. Then, he continues his descent upwards, clawing higher and higher, until he reaches the perfect branch. This’ll be risky-- he could fall, but he wasn’t going to disappoint his mentor. Carefully padding across the branch, his belly scrapes against the bark, and he gets as far as he can before the branch bends too far for him to jump. Alright. Breathe, in- out, and then  _ leap _ , catching the bird as it tries to escape with his front paws, and then placing it into his mouth so he can land safely. His paws scramble for a moment, but he doesn’t lose hold of his prey, judging the distance to the floor and jumping down. Righting himself midair, he lands a few tail-lengths away from the tree, minimizing the damage on his ankles. A cat always lands on his feet, after all. Then, he finally bites down on the bird to give the killing blow- that way the damn thing will stop struggling while he’s trying to breathe.

“EXCELLENT WORK, YOUNG BRAVEPAW!” Lionstar booms, causing the apprentice to jump a little. His legs are shaky after that whole endeavor- especially his back leg, which has had to carry the brunt of every jump. He drops the bird, purring with pride.

“Thanks, Lionstar! That...yeah.” He has to take a minute to catch his breath. “I learned that from Skypaw, really. Have you ever seen her hunt birds? She’s an expert.” He gushes fondly, and Lionstar laughs.

“HER TREE-CATCHING ABILITIES ARE QUITE IMPRESSIVE! I’M SURE SHE’LL BE PROUD OF YOU.” His massive tail rests on Bravepaw’s back, which he straightens on instinct. “NOW, LET’S HEAD FURTHER INTO THE WOODS. WE’VE LIKELY SCARED OFF ANY PREY IN THE AREA.” With a rumbling purr, Lionstar takes the lead, long legs striding easily across the ground. Bravepaw’s gotten better at keeping pace with his mentor, but he can’t say he gets out of it without stumbling across a few obstacles in the process. They’re nearing the Sunningrock- a large boulder that flattens out at the top, right in the middle of a usually-sunny clearing. Moss clings to the bottom of the massive landmark, the shadows at the edges hinting at the biggest danger at Sunningrock-- snakes. Adders loved to nestle up near the warm stone, and if a cat were to catch one unawares, the result was most likely unfavorable. But, they’re still in the wooded area around the clearing, much safer, especially as the weather started to turn. Once again, the leader gives Bravepaw the symbol to pause, and he immediately starts to scent the air. He catches the scent of prey much more easily, but something acrid hanging in the air makes him pause. It smelled like cat. Cats who didn’t belong in MightClan territory. In fact- the smell was a rancid that reminded him of the gathering, a peaty, sharp, bitter smell.

“IronClan cats have been through here.” He murmurs, noticing the frown on Lionstar’s face. “But- how didn’t our patrols catch them? We’ve had them going almost constantly. Unless- they were here during the night? We haven’t had a moonhigh patrol in a while, because everyone’s so worn down during the day-” His muttering is silenced by Lionstar’s tail flicking over his mouth.

“We need to take this back to the clan. Get the prey you’ve hunted, and then let’s go.” The same sternness he heard before has returned, and Bravepaw just bobs his head before heading back the direction they came to dig up the prey left there. Lionstar easily takes the lead, grabbing the mouse, Bravepaw taking the bird. 

The entire journey back, Bravepaw’s fur stands on end, ears swivelling for the sound of any footsteps other than his own. Even Lionstar’s ever-sunny smile has been replaced with a thoughtful frown, which signals to his apprentice that it’s not the time to bother him. Instead, he focuses on memorizing the path they take, committing it and all the smells along the way to memory. After what feels like an eternity of walking in silence, the camp comes into view. The two cats push through, and after setting the prey on the freshkill pile, Lionstar glances around.

“Where’s Flamestripe?”

“He might be training out in the hollow, with Firepaw.” Bravepaw offers, recalling the conversation he overheard earlier that day.

“Fetch him, if you could. I need to discuss this with Streamrunner.” Before Bravepaw can argue, Lionstar is pushing his way into the elder’s den. Looks like he’s off to fetch the deputy, then. The trek to the training hollow feels laborious, even though it really wasn’t that long of the walk. No, what weighed him down was the possibility of what he’d find there, and the various ways this interaction with the sour tom could go. The ground shifted from grass to clay beneath his paws, a thin covering of dirt kicking up with every step. Pushing into the hollow, he glances around, looking for his target. Flamestripe was standing over Firepaw’s prone form, hissing something in a voice too low for Bravepaw to hear. In a moment of panic, he starts to sprint over--but cools it into a light jog the closer he gets, trying not to show how disturbed he is. 

“Flamestripe?” He cranes his neck to look up at him, and Flamestripe glances down.

“What is it?”

“Lionstar- he, uh, wants to talk to you about IronClan scent we found on the territory.” The black-and-orange tom’s ears perk at this, and he nudges Firepaw with his back paw as he turns to leave.

“Come now, Firepaw. We’re done for today.” Firepaw doesn’t move, and Bravepaw’s stomach plummets. “Firepaw.” The deputy’s voice grows rougher, and Firepaw gives a pathetic wheeze.

“Give him a second!” Bravepaw forces his way between the two, Firepaw slowly struggling to his feet. Flamestripe bristles slightly, but continues walking. As soon as Flamestripe’s a few paces away, Bravepaw turns to his friend.

“Are you okay?”

“Fine.” The words come through grit teeth, and small patches of red are slowly staining Firepaw’s white fur. At first, Bravepaw assumes it to be briars-- but this training hollow doesn’t  _ have _ briars. Nausea churns his stomach, and he moves to get a closer look.

“Firepaw...were you training with claws out?” Concern fills his mind and voice, but Firepaw doesn’t respond. Mentors didn’t train claws-out. That was strictly forbidden, for the safety of their apprentices. If Flamestripe was doing this, then...well, what kind of cat was that to have as deputy of the clan? There’s a harsh, heavy silence between the two of them, and the longer it holds, the worse he feels. 

“We should head back.” Is Firepaw’s quiet reply, bobbed tail drooping slightly.

“Right.” Slowly, gently, the two move through the forest. There’s nothing that can be said; apologies linger on his tongue, unused and empty. Is there really nothing he can do? “We should- we should tell someone.” Bravepaw’s ears flick up- somewhat hopefully, somewhat nervously.

“No!” Firepaw snaps, causing the green-eyed tom to startle back slightly. “It’s nothing. Don’t- It’s not worth it.” His tone has started growing slightly more agitated- only slightly, but enough to get the point across. Still, Bravepaw can’t help but feel like something should be done, like someone should KNOW. But maybe Firepaw had a point. After all, if something happens to Flamestripe, the clan would be left without a deputy. That, and who knows what the aggressive tom could do in retaliation. Or, worst of all, no one may even listen. They were just apprentices, and Flamestripe was deputy of the clan. Not popular, sure, but his word held more weight than theirs.  

“We should at least...at least have Silverflower clean you up.” He suggests quietly, glancing over at the other.

“I can handle it myself, Bravepaw. There’s no need to get Silverflower- or anyone else, for that matter- involved.” Firepaw pushes ahead, and Braveapw scrambles to join him, trying to make sure he was able to catch Firepaw if he fell. The rest of the journey is silent, other than the sounds of the forest around them. Or at least, until they reach the camp, that is. Lionstar is barking out orders, and all around, cats murmur with displeasure and indignity at the news of Ironclan somehow getting past their patrols. 

“CLEARTONGUE! BLOSSOMNOSE! LEAD A PATROL TO TRACK THE SCENT- TAKE SHADOWSTEP, NIGHTPELT, AND SPOTTEDBLIZZARD! STREAMRUNNER, FLAMESTRIPE, MEET ME IN MY DEN!” And like that, he’s bounding up the highrock, disappearing behind the ivy fronds covering the entryway to his den. Cats bound into action, and Bravepaw just pushes through the crowd to try and reach the apprentice den, where Firepaw lay curled in his nest. He stops by the freshkill pile first, grabbing a mouse to share. Bravepaw slips in, moss cool against his belly and furr pressed against Firepaw’s side.

“Hungry?”

“Not really.” Firepaw mumbles. Bravepaw takes a bite, and then nudges it towards him.

“You need to keep your strength up. Just a bite?” There’s hesitation, but Firepaw eventually leans down-- at first taking a nibble, and then ravenously scarfing the rest down. Bravepaw just watches him eat, stifling a chuckle.

“...I ate it all…”

“Don’t worry about it.” Nosing into Firepaw’s fur, he starts licking clean a few of the wounds. “I’ve got a bad feeling you’ll need your strength elsewhere soon.”

**Author's Note:**

> ((A/N: OCS LIST: FOXMASK (boku-no-bitch-academia on tumblr) SNAKEWHISKER, BRIARPATH, RAINWALKER (prince_of_kuthia on ao3) BREEZEFOOT (mamamomochii on instagram) SUNPAW (vellichorial on both tumblr and twitter) THANKS FOR YOUR PERMISSION IN USING THESE CHARS


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